Highland Council Administration to launch new Council Programme
31st July 2015
Highland Council's new Administration met with all elected members today to discuss their new Programme, which will be launched next week.
The Programme is based on three main themes: A Community-Led, Well-Served and a Fairer Highland.
Leader of the Council, Margaret Davidson said: "We are committed to raising the profile of the Highlands to secure the very best outcomes for our communities.
"Improving connectivity will be a key priority for the next two years. Good broadband and mobile coverage are essential for communities to thrive, economically, educationally and socially.
“We want to develop a fairer society, with better opportunities for our young people, better workforce planning, more apprenticeships and affordable housing. We will work with partners to support older people to have a better quality of life and live independently in their homes.
“We want to empower communities to fully participate in local decisions about facilities and services and to encourage community led initiatives.
“We are constrained, of course, by challenging financial times, so we must work together with partners and communities to deliver effective and efficient services and make the most of our resources and opportunities.
Councillor Davidson went on to say: “The Highlands are taking the brunt of ever-increasing centralisation of national resources and urban-focused policies. Better infrastructure, transport, affordable warmth and economic growth and investment are all crucial to the Highlands. We can't do all this on our own. We need to work with partners and with the Scottish and UK Governments to secure better outcomes for the region and we are committed to that task."
The new Programme will be made public next week and will be considered by Highland Council on 13 August at a special meeting, when the Council will be asked to approve the new Programme.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Yesterday, Thursday 16 May, representatives from the tourism sector in the Highlands gathered in Inverness to take part in a Sustainable Tourism Strategy Workshop hosted by The Highland Council. The meeting, which was well attended with representatives from across Highland and different interests, follows the launch of the Council's public consultation on its Draft Sustainable Tourism Strategy.
First Minister John Swinney has confirmed the opening of a £1.5 million fund to support councils in removing the impact of school meal debt from families across the country. Mr Swinney said this commitment will help ensure no child is penalised for struggling to pay for school meals as a result of the cost of living crisis.
Todays Audit Scotland report Local government budgets 2024/25 reveals how dire council budgets are. This makes many more cuts in services likely in coming years.
At the Highland Council Economy and Infrastructure Committee. (Thursday 2 May 2024) Members had the opportunity to review the work the Council is doing to progress active travel and improve road safety before approving the next steps.
At the meeting of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee members had the opportunity to review the last two years of the Community Regeneration Funding Programme before agreeing changes to how the 2024/25 programme will be delivered. Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "Following a successful two years, it is a good time to review what has gone well and what can be done better so we can continue to build on success, and seamlessly move the focus onto how best to support the delivery of projects." "With 279 live projects and over £6million of committed funds still to be claimed, there is no doubt as to the value and impact of the programme's potential.
The Highland Council's In-House bus service pilot project was launched in January 2023. The success of its first year of operation in delivering savings and creating a valued and reliable service was highlighted at today’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee.
Members of Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee today (2 May 2024) approved the local authority's draft Ecology Strategy and Action Plan which will now move forward to an 12-week public consultation. The Ecology Strategy sets out an ambitious set of actions to tackle biodiversity loss and address the ecological emergency.
Economy and Infrastructure Committee members today (2 May 2024) agreed to direct £100K from the Council's share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to fund a new staff training programme at the Inverness Castle Experience. The funding will enable the project team to provide specialist visitor attraction training to young people identified through partners at Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).
The Housing and Property Committee met on Wednesday 1 May 2024 and noted the Housing Service performance report 2023/24 that met the agreed priorities and associated initiatives in the Local Housing Strategy 2023-2028. The report highlighted a number of achievements in 2023/24 in increasing housing supply.
Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council. Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban said: "I am delighted to say that Kate Lackie, Malcolm MacLeod and Allan Gunn have been appointed as Assistant Chief Executives with The Highland Council.
