Local Authority News
The Highland Council has today (Monday) published on its web site: www.highland.gov.uk a notice of election seeking nomination of candidates to serve on the 19 Community Councils in the Highlands which were forced to disband from Wednesday 16 November as the result of not attracting sufficient nominations at the first time of calling. The deadline for nominations is 4 pm on Friday 9 December.
As the final stages of work take place on the �3.8 million community centre for Wick, Highlands and Islands Enterprise's most senior staff have enjoyed a sneak preview. As part of a two day programme of meetings with ambitious Caithness and Sutherland businesses and social enterprises, the HIE Board visited the Pulteney Centre due to open in the new year and paid tribute to the achievements of the Pulteneytown People's Project (PPP).
"Watch out for fake goods and bogus websites this Christmas" warns Highland Council Trading Standards. The Highland Council Trading Standards Service is warning consumers not to be duped into buying counterfeit sports clothes and equipment from bogus websites, as part of the National Consumer Week 2011 campaign entitled "Good Sports Don't Fake it".
Margaret Ann Beaton, who is responsible for the operation of The Highland Council's five school residences, has been chosen as the Council's Employee of the year. She received her prize at the Council's annual Quality Awards, held at the Town House, Inverness, on Thursday night.
This year's award for Local Government Politician of the year, sponsored by Improvement Service and Robertson Group, was won by the Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Michael Foxley, for his campaigning on issues such as the threat to coastguard stations and emergency tugs and for reform of the Crown Estate. Councillor Foxley received his award at a ceremony in Edinburgh, sponsored by the Herald newspaper.
The Chancellor and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury today visited Nigg on the Cromarty Firth, where they announced around �100 million of additional funding for Scottish renewable energy, including marine renewables. This announcement is additional to the existing budget and spending plans of the Scottish Government.
In order to understand the extent of the problem of Internet delivery charges, The Highland Council's Trading Standards team are looking to gather evidence from Highland consumers and small businesses about any malpractice they have experienced and to trace and tackle those businesses that fall foul of internet trading law. They are launching a web survey from The Highland Council's web site: www.highland.gov.uk/deliverycharges to gauge the experiences of Highland consumers and small businesses about what often seems like excessive delivery charging for goods bought online.
Hundreds of primary and secondary school pupils from the Highlands and Islands will this week take part in an online event designed to encourage young people to make positive decisions around substance misuse. Choices for Life online will be broadcast on Glow, Scotland's intranet for schools, on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 November and will be available to over 2,600 primary and secondary schools across Scotland.
Caithness Members of The Highland Council have pledged to support this year's "DA DOONIE DAY" Viking Festival which will take place in Wick on Friday 25 November. The event, which is run by Thurso Rotary Club, will receive financial support of up to �3,000 from each of the three ward discretionary budgets to assist with the cost of staging the event.
High Life Highland, established on the 1st October to deliver Community Learning and Leisure services on behalf of The Highland Council, launches its first Highland-wide community event this month. The 6 week "MOVE IT TO LOSE IT" Christmas Challenge begins on the 14th November at all participating High Life Highland leisure centres.
The Caithness Countryside Volunteers recently turned out in force on Sunday 30 October, tools in hand to tackle the overgrown and wild path to General Patrick Sinclair's Grave, Lybster. The Sinclairs of Lybster have a long history, going back to the Sinclair Earls who ruled Caithness, and played a significant role in the once booming herring fishing village of Lybster.
Almost 100 delegates from voluntary groups, carer support groups, independent care providers, NHS Highland and The Highland Council met last week (2nd November) in Inverness to plan how older people can be better cared for in their communities in the future. The event had been arranged by the Highland Third Sector Partnership, a group of local organisations funded by the Scottish Government to support voluntary activity and volunteering.
Organisers of the Highland's first apple day have heralded the event as a blossoming success that has sown the seed for future annual celebrations. Over 200 people recently attended the inaugural apple day at Inverness Floral Hall on 22 October.
Trading Standards of The Highland Council are praising the vigilence of Highland retailers following a recent test-purchasing exercise in which no sales of fireworks were made to an under-age volunteer. The 15-year-old volunteer attempted to buy rockets when he visited over a third of retailers registered with the local authority to store and sell fireworks.
Recycling rate tops 40% for the first time thanks to public support. The Highland public is being congratulated for helping The Highland Council achieve for the first time a recycling rate of more than 40 per cent.
Derek Yule was Head of Finance and Section 95 Officer in Aberdeenshire Council, has been appointed Director of Finance with The Highland Council. He started in his new post with highland Council opn m,onday 31st October 2011 He will take over as Director of Finance from Alan Geddes, who retires at the end of September after 40 years in local government and 13 in his current post.
At a meeting of The Highland Council held earlier today (Thursday 27 October 2011) Members voted to reduce the current three Planning Application Committees to two - a North Planning Application Committee and a South Planning Application Committee. The new structure will come in to affect in January next year.
Highland Councillors have voiced their grave concerns at "Draconian" changes in welfare payments planned by the UK Government through the Welfare Reform Bill. Councillors David Chisholm (Dingwall and Seaforth) and Bill Barclay (Black Isle) successfully presented a motion to the Council requesting that a letter be sent to the Scottish Government asking them to refuse to legislate on those aspects of the Bill which relate to devolved matters.
Most trade unions are asking their members to support a national campaign of industrial action over pensions. Public sector pensions are in the news.
Monday, 24 October, sees The Highland Council embarking on eight consecutive evening consultation meetings on its second generation draft Gaelic Language Plan. The consultation meetings are taking place in the following areas: � Thurso at the High School on Monday 24 October, � Portree at the Fingal Centre on 25 October, � Ullapool Macphail Centre on 26 October, � Inverness at Bun-sgoil Inbhir Nis on 27 October, � Fort William at Lochaber House on 28 October, � Dingwall at the Community Centre on 31 October, � Aviemore, on 1 November at the International Starters, and finally � Golspie on 2 November at the High School.