Local Authority News

Housing initiatives aim to prevent homelessness and improve people's lives

Members of the Community Services Committee have warmly welcomed the initiatives being undertaken to prevent homelessness and improve the lives of homeless people in Highland.   The Temporary Accommodation Re-Provisioning Project aims to reduce the use of leased private sector rooms and bed and breakfast type accommodation and invest the savings generated in the building and acquisition of Council owned accommodation.  

E-Auctions School and Public Transport Framework Agreement

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Postal voters urged to make their vote count

From today (Wednesday 13 April) 33,565 postal voting papers are being dispatched to Highland electors that have requested a postal vote.   Voters are being reminded to read instructions carefully as they cast their votes for the Scottish Parliamentary election and to return their completed postal packs ideally before polling day.  

Highland School Estate - No Safety Concerns

In light of recent developments regarding the condition of Edinburgh Schools, the Highland Council confirms that it has no cause for concern about the safety of school buildings in this authority.   The Council will also be consulting with its PPP partners to provide further assurance regarding the 14 schools built under the first and second PPP development phases and to respond fully to the letter received from the Scottish Government.  

NOSS PRIMARY SCHOOL, WICK PROJECT REACHES PRACTICAL COMPLETION

The new £15.4million Noss Primary School has reached a vital milestone with the practical completion of the facility.  Replacing the existing North and Hillhead Primary Schools in Wick, work on the 4,620 sq m facility commenced in late 2014 and has been delivered by hub North Scotland on behalf of The Highland Council.  

Highland Council congratulates Divisional Commander on his retirement

The Highland Council has congratulated Divisional Commander of the Highlands and Islands, Julian Innes on his retiral and thanked him for his service at his last Committee meeting on 23 March 2016.   Chair of the Communities and Partnerships Committee, Cllr Hamish Fraser said: Chief Superintendent Innes has made a huge contribution to the safety of our communities.  

New north coast marine plan launched

To support north coast local communities, a new marine plan for the North Highlands coast has just been completed.   After several years collaborative work with Marine Scotland and Orkney Islands Council, The Highland Council is pleased to be part of this rewarding and successful venture.  

Dog fouling fine doubles

From 1st April 2016 the fine for dog owners who fail to pick up after their dog will rise from £40 to £80 , bringing it into line with the fine for other types of littering - cigarette butts, chewing gum and general litter.   The change comes after the overwhelming majority of responses to a Scottish Government consultation on responsible dog ownership said they would support the fixed penalty being raised.  

Highland takes step towards local budgets for local decision-making

Localism and Community Empowerment have taken a huge leap forward with the decision taken by Members of The Highland Council, to ratify the disaggregation of the Community Services budget to the local areas along with the scheme of delegation to the relevant local committees.  This decision was taken at a meeting of The Highland Council on 10 March.  

£406 million for affordable homes

All 32 of Scotland's councils will share £406 million in grant subsidy in 2016/17 to deliver more affordable homes, over £100 million more than last years' allocation.   It is part of the Government's overall investment of over £572 million to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) in 2016/17, the funding is allocated for each local authority area, which the Scottish Government refers to as Resource Planning Assumptions (RPAs).