The Highland Council has appointed chairmen to its two new area Planning Applications Committees. Councillor David Chisholm, Dingwall and Seaforth, is Chairman of the North PAC, Vice-Chairman is Councillor Audrey Sinclair, Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh.
Members of The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport Committee have agreed to bring forward £1.038 million of Capital Funding Projects to help offset an estimated £3.6 million projected underspend in the current financial year 2011/12. Approved projects in the Capital Programme which are being brought forward include works at: · Kingussie High School, Culloden Academy, Inverness and Tain Craighill Primary School; · inspection of craft, design and technical equipment in Secondary Schools; · works at Dingwall Leisure Centre; and · the purchase of a disabled access mini-bus at Lochaber High School.
At the start of this week's Education, Culture and Sport Committee at Highland council in Inverness, two senior pupils from Millburn Academy joined the Chairman, Councillor Bill Fernie, to make a presentation to Mr Bob Macdougall from Inverness. Bob has just retired from his post at Inverness Prison following 32 years' service.
Motorists are being advised that work begins in Inverness on Monday (16 January 2012) to replace the existing traffic signals at the Harbour Road/Shore Street junction, which have reached the end of their useful life. The Highland Council is removing the traffic signals and replacing them with a mini roundabout.
The Highland Council started work earlier this week on a notorious section of sub-standard lifeline road in Moidart - at Drynie Hill. During the contract, Monday through to Friday there will be a temporary road closure in place between 10am and 12:25pm and 1.10pm to 3:30 pm to safely carry out vital tree felling and blasting works.
All the information to stand in the Crofting Commission Elections can be found at http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/elections/croftingcommission/.
The Highland Council will introduce a car and a passenger ferry service between North and South Strome on Monday to combat the impact of the closure of the A 890 Lochcarron - Kyle/Plockton road due to the danger of rockfalls. The timetables for the two ferry services, which will have connecting buses, will be confirmed on Friday.
For the second year in succession, The Highland Council is recommending a council house rent increase below the rate of inflation. The Housing and Social Work Committee is recommending an average increase of 1.9% which is 3.3% below inflation.
Pupils from the Lochcarron area will continue to travel to Plockton High School by train for the rest of this week as their normal route - via the A890 Stromeferry By-pass - remains closed due the threat of rockfall. On Monday 9 January 2012 46 pupils from the Lochcarron area travelled to Plockton High School by train.
The Highland Council is working to secure the services of a car and a passenger ferry - along with feeder bus services - which it will introduce next week as an emergency measure in the wake of the ongoing closure of the A 890 Stromeferry By-pass between Lochcarron and Plockton/Kyle. The ferries are needed because the Council has been advised by consultants that the road must remain closed to traffic until works to make the rock face safe are completed, following landslides at a point 100 yards west of the Avalanche Shelter, as there is still a significant risk of further rock falls affecting the road.
First Crofting Commission elections begin as Minister names appointed members. The starting gun for the first ever crofting elections was fired today with the official publication of the Notice of Elections.
An innovative project to recycle thousands of computers for use by communities and deserving children across the Scottish Highlands has been launched, in a festive season boost for many in the area. The huge initiative to renovate equipment for re-use instead of landfill is funded by technology company Fujitsu and The Highland Council.
The Highland Council has received the Report of Examination for the Highland wide Local Development Plan from the Scottish Government's Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals. The Highland wide Local Development Plan is the key planning document to guide development across Highland for the next ten years.
Highland Councillors have taken an important step towards securing significant local funding for communities across Highland from renewable energy developments. They have agreed the recommendations of their Community Benefit Working Group which will determine how future funds are allocated and set out how the Council will secure the highest level of benefit possible.
Highland Councillors Back Introduction Of Minimum Pricing Of Alcohol. Highland Councillors have voiced their unanimous support for the introduction of minimum pricing of alcohol as a means of tackling the growing incidence of alcohol misuse in the Highlands.
The Highland Council has welcomed the creation of a £5 million Cities Investment Fund to support a Scottish Cities Alliance. Senior council representatives were present in Edinburgh when Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Nicola Sturgeon, announced that initiative, which will see leaders of Scotland's local authorities team up in a new economic partnership to attract investment, create jobs and help Scotland's cities compete more successfully on the international stage.
Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon today set out the Scottish Government's plan to integrate adult health and social care. The moves aim to improve the quality and consistency of care for older people and put an end to the 'cost-shunting' between the NHS and local authorities that too often ends up with older people being delayed in hospital longer than they should be and not getting the best standards of care.
Two elections confirmed as 16 more Community Councils formed. Elections will be held in two Highland Community Councils following a second round of elections and a further 14 Community Councils attracted sufficient nominations to reform.
16 of the 19 CCs that had gone into abeyance will be able to continue. 12 Community Councils received sufficient nominations to form a Community Council ie they attracted half or more than their maximum entitlement (7-13).
HI-Scot Credit Union are launching a campaign across the Highlands and Islands so that people are more aware of the cost of borrowing. The warning follows a revelation that some High Street banks charge more than 800,000% APR for unauthorised overdrafts.
