Local Authority News
28/9/2015
Views sought on Highland Planning Policies through new consultation portal
Consultations commence on a review of the Highland-Wide Local Development Plan, Onshore Wind Energy Guidance and the Local Housing Strategy. The Highland Council has today launched three online consultations on planning and housing issues across the area, including a review of its main planning policy document the Highland-wide Local Development Plan.28/9/2015
Council Committee to discuss community transport grants
Details of a process for a call for community transport grants applications will be considered by The Highland Council's Community Services Committee at their meeting on 5th November 2015. Twenty-two third sector organisations are currently grant funded through transport services and have been advised that their grants expire on 31st March 2016.23/9/2015
European Social Fund (ESF) programme allocation
The Highland Council welcomes the announcement of the approval to this first stage of the roll-out of the new European Social Fund (ESF) Employability Programme for Highland which will be operating up to December 2018. This will allow the Council and Partners to develop the detailed operational programmes, which will deliver services to people with barriers to employment and provide incentives to employment for small and medium enterprises in Highland.12/9/2015
Inverness Members support Freedom of Highlands for Royal Regiment of Scotland
The Royal Regiment of Scotland will receive a warm welcome in Inverness on 15 October 2015 when granted the Freedom of the Highlands by The Highland Council. Members of the Council's City of Inverness and Area have agreed that £24,401 Inverness Common Good funding will be allocated towards the cost of arrangements required for the granting of Freedom status.12/9/2015
Highland Council Leader Welcomes Start of A9 Dualling
Councillor Margaret Davidson (Independent), Leader of the Highland Council today welcomed the commencement of work to start dualling the A9 which was formally launched today by Keith Brown MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Investment and Cities. This first phase of work is the five-mile long section between Kincraig and Dalraddy which is due to be completed by summer 2017.9/9/2015
Your community needs you - Community Council Elections 2015
Nominations are invited from people seeking election to all Community Councils across Highland this autumn. This is your chance to help represent the views of your community to the Highland Council and other public agencies.
9/9/2015
Highland welcomes ‘stay of execution' for Police call centre
Highland Council Leader, Councillor Margaret Davidson has welcomed Justice Secretary Michael Matheson's announcement at Scottish Parliament this week of measures to strengthen policing in Scotland including a ‘stay of execution' for Police Scotland’s Inverness call centre. The Scottish Government has indicated that it will support the retention of staff in Aberdeen and Inverness for a period beyond 31 March 2016 to allow for an effective handover of operations to a combined North Area Control Room in Dundee.8/9/2015
Highland Council responds to Syrian Refugee Crisis
A cross party meeting of Group Leaders from The Highland Council has today met to discuss Highland Council's initial response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis. The Group Leaders also met with Bylthswood representatives to hear of the work they are doing to support the Syrian Refugees.8/9/2015
Five candidates contest by-election for Aird and Loch Ness
Five candidates are to contest the upcoming by-election to elect a councillor to represent the Aird and Loch Ness Ward of The Highland Council. The candidates are: • George Cruickshank, Scottish Conservative and Unionist • Jean Mary Elizabeth Davis - Scottish Liberal Democrats • Emma Ann Knox - Scottish National Party (SNP) • Zofia Fraser- Independent • Vikki Tania Trelfer - Scottish Green Party The by-election is being held on Thursday 8 October after Drew Hendry, one of four councillors for Ward 13, stepped down after he was elected as an MP for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Constituency.7/9/2015
Strengthening local democracy across the Highlands - Caithness & Sutherland committee to be disbanded
The Highland Council has agreed to replace two Area Committees with four new Local Forums for community planning and local decision-making and scrutiny for Councillors and for local community planning if partners agree to take part. The two Area Committees covering Caithness and Sutherland and Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey will be disbanded and established as four new separate local community planning forums.6/9/2015
Countdown To the End Of Right To Buy Council Houses
This article is from the Scottish Government web site and reminds everyone the deadline for application to buy a council house or from a social landlord is 31st July 2016. Right to buy is ending for all tenants of social housing in Scotland on 1 August 2016.29/8/2015
Campaign to encourage young voters in Highland and Islands to register
A campaign which aims to encourage all 15-17 year olds who will be eligible to vote for the first time in the Scottish Parliament election scheduled for May 2016 to sign up and register has begun across Highland and Islands. The initiative is part of a wider campaign that has been launched nationally across Scotland by the Electoral Commission.25/8/2015
New Improved Blue Bin Service Begins 
The Highland Council's new improved recycling service begins next week. From 31st August residents can also put plastic pots, tubs and trays (excluding black plastic) into the blue recycling bin - in addition to cardboard food & drink cartons, aerosols and envelopes which were added in earlier in the summer.
22/8/2015
Hundreds of potholes repaired
Hundreds of potholes have been repaired in the first 6 months of this year. 1,437 potholes were repaired between January and June 2015.22/8/2015
Highland Council Leader calls for assurances on future Highland projects
The Highland Council is not impacted on any current projects by the "interruption" of EU funds to Scotland for 2007 -13 Programmes. The “interruption” relating to 2013 will have no bearing on claims submitted by the Council in 2014 or 2015 and Highland Council projects, audited in 2013, received a clean bill of health.22/8/2015
Funding boost for use of technology in learning
The Highland Council Care and Learning Service has been successful in securing £250,000 to support the development of the use of technology in learning. The bid, led by Louise Jones, ICT in Learning Manager was submitted to the Inspiring Learning Fund a Scottish Government fund developed by the Scottish Futures Trust.19/8/2015
Council welcomes Attainment Scotland funding for Highland schools
Highland Council welcomes the announcement today by the First Minister that 5 local schools are going to receive additional funding as part of the Attainment Scotland Fund. This second phase of the national initiative involves 57 schools across Scotland, and the five in Highland are - Merkinch and Bishop Eden (Inverness), Coulhill and Milton (East Ross) and South Wick (Caithness).17/8/2015
New online forms on Council's website
Highland Council residents can now apply for Council Tax discounts and exemptions and report change of circumstances online with the launch of new online forms on the Council's website. The new forms allow customers to complete online rather than by paper when applying for council tax discounts/exemptions and to report changes that may impact on their council tax, housing benefit or council tax reduction.15/8/2015
Nuclear Archive At Wick
The PFR stone table with the inscription 'Out of Caithness to the World' will become the centre piece of the NDA Archive when it opens its doors in 2017. Construction of the new facility has begun at Wick and was officially opened by David Flear, Dounreay Stakeholder Group chairman, when he cut the first turf at an opening ceremony in August.
15/8/2015
