Local Authority News
3/9/2020
Bold, New Thirty-year Vision For Highland
Highland Council today agreed a bold, new thirty-year vision for the future of Highland to promote through the Scottish Government's new National Planning Framework. Known as the Highland Indicative Regional Spatial Strategy (IRSS for short), it sets out the Council's ideas for how the region can prosper in the period to 2050 and also support the delivery of national priorities and outcomes.2/9/2020
Inverness Has Huge Waiting List For Social Housing But Caithness and Sutherland have very low lists
The Housing and Property committee of Highland council at its meeting on 9 September 2020 will discuss housing issues including he waiting lists for homes Housing Demand There were a total of 7,785 ‘Housing' and ‘Transfer' List applications held at the end of 2019/20 compared to 7,890 in 2018/19. Need for affordable housing does not appear to be significantly reducing.1/9/2020
Educators To Address Attainment Gap With Equity Week
Education specialists from across the North-east, North and West of Scotland are to deliver a week-long series of digital professional learning events for teachers and practitioners from the end of September as part of a drive to increase awareness about child poverty in Scotland and the impact this has on learning. Led by the Northern Alliance (Regional lmprovement Collaborative for the area's eight local authorities) in collaboration with Education Scotland, Promoting Equity Week will run from Monday 28 September.29/8/2020
Highland Council Position On 1140 Hours Early Learning Childcare Provision
The Highland confirms that its actions on the provision of Early Learning Childcare (ELC) provision are in line with Scottish Government Guidance and directions issued. With implications of COVID-19 the Scottish Government chose - following a Scottish Parliament decision - to remove the Statutory Duty for provision of 1140 hours from August 2020.28/8/2020
Highland Council receives encouraging response to promoted teacher recruitment campaign across Highland
The Highland Council is encouraged by the excellent response to the advertising campaign that took place during the first week of the school session for promoted teaching staff. Strategic Chair of the Education and Learning Committee, Cllr John Finlayson, said: "I am delighted at the excellent response this campaign has produced, including over 13 applications being received for one Head Teacher post and over 20 for one Depute Head Teacher post.25/8/2020
Highland Council Designs New Branding To Signpost Visitors To Nearest Comfort Scheme Toilets
Highland Council has revealed new branding for its Comfort Scheme which its hoped will help people identify premises that have opened their toilets for public use. The Comfort Scheme also includes premises where a community has taken charge of ex-Council toilets for the public to use.20/8/2020
Highland Council Community and Places Committee Deficit Reduced But £4.84 Million Gap Means More Cuts May Be Required
Committee examines measures in place to manage revenue budget shortfall and thanks staff for their Covid-19 response. At a meeting of the Communities and Place Committee on Wednesday 19th August 2020 councillors had the opportunity to review the arrangements being put in place by the service to manage a forecasted budget gap of £4.84m.20/8/2020
High Life Highland Is Ready To Welcome Customers Back To Pools And Gyms
High Life Highland have expressed delight at today's announcement from the First Minister that gyms and swimming pools can reopen from Monday 31st August 2020. Steve Walsh Chief Executive of High life Highland said, "I am absolutely delighted with the news that we are able to welcome our customers back earlier than we had first thought.20/8/2020
Praise for Volunteers and Staff On Improving Burial Grounds in Caithness
Committee discusses capacity pressure for Council burial grounds and excellent work of Caithness volunteers flagged up. The Highland Council is responsible for 268 burial grounds across the Highlands and a report discussed at the Communities and Place Committee on 19th August 2020 highlighted that 33 of the sites have an estimated capacity of less than 6 years.16/8/2020
Senior posts in Highland Council to go to advert
Advertisements for the recruitment of a Depute Chief Executive and for a replacement Executive Chief Officer Health and Social Care (ECO H&SC) will go to press in two national papers, week commencing 17 August. The revised structure of the executive team was agreed by full Council on 9 May 2019, including the post of Chief Operating Officer/Depute CEO, with a salary agreed at previous Director level.14/8/2020
High Life Highland Is Bouncing Back
In a report being presented to The Highland Council's Recovery Board on 24th August, Steve Walsh, High Life Highland's Chief Executive, has outlined the charity's road to financial recovery thanks to its bounceback campaign. Mr Walsh explained, "It now seems like an over-used phrase, but when the pandemic hit in March it was clear that High Life Highland, along with every other organisation was facing unprecedented challenges.14/8/2020
SQA Results In Highland - 5000 increases in grade across all schools
On Tuesday 11 August 2020, Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, announced in the Scottish Parliament a change to the way that SQA results would be decided. In some cases, the moderation process carried out by the SQA during July and August had meant that candidates might be awarded a lower or higher grade than their teacher had estimated.14/8/2020
Over £15m of capital investment to improve Highland housing stock
Members of The Highland Council's Housing and Property Committee have agreed a one-year capital investment plan of £15.667 million to be spent improving existing housing stock - £1 million of which will be specifically to fund aids and adaptations for disabled tenants. The money will be allocated on an area-by-area basis with local members making decisions on projects to be carried out during 2021-2022.13/8/2020
School Lets In Highland Update
All Highland Council school lets will remain suspended to assist in the Government's goal in suppressing the coronavirus. We will review this position in October and will reopen the lets booking process, in line with national Covid-19 guidance, when it is deemed safe to do so.13/8/2020
Committee discusses Council's work to address homelessness
Members of The Highland Council's Housing and Property Committee have had the chance to discuss the progress made to implement a Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan aimed at tackling homelessness. In November 2018 the Scottish Government and COSLA published the "Ending Homelessness Together" Action Plan which included the recommendation that all local authorities produce Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans to document how they would tackle homelessness.12/8/2020
Using school transport in Highland
Pupils travelling by dedicated school transport. ‘Dedicated school transport' means transport which is only available to pupils.12/8/2020
COVID-19 school trip refunds - Corporate Resources Committee
Members of today's postponed Corporate Resources Committee have supported recommendations contained in item 9 of today's report, regarding critical issues around COVID-19 school trip refunds. Those members who would have been in attendance at today's meeting were contacted by the Chair of the Committee, Cllr Alister Mackinnon, due to the importance of a decision being made on this item.11/8/2020
NOTICE OF PROPOSED ORDER TO EXEMPT LAND FROM ACCESS RIGHTS THE HIGHLAND COUNCIL (LIMEKILN FOREST, REAY, CAITHNESS) ORDER 2020
Notice is hereby given under section 11(2) (b) of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 ("the Act") that Highland Council proposes to make The Highland Council (Limekiln Forest, Reay, Caithness) Order 2020 ("the Order") under section 11(1) of the Act. The effect of the Order will be to exempt a 7.8km length of forest track at Limekiln Forest, Reay, Caithness (part of Limekiln Forest Core Path CA11.03) from the access rights which would otherwise be exercisable in respect of the land by virtue of Part 1 of the Act.11/8/2020
SQA Results - Downgraded Results Scrapped; Qualifications To Be Based On Teacher Judgement
Pupils whose results were downgraded by the SQA are to receive new grades based solely on teacher estimates. The SQA's alternative certification model was put in place after exams were cancelled due to coronavirus (COVID-19).8/8/2020