Local Authority News
18/12/2019
Scottish Public Sector Employment
Public Sector Employment Statistics for Scotland, released by Scotland's Chief Statistician, show there were 561,500 people employed in the public sector in Scotland in September 2019. As of September 2019, public sector employment accounted for 21.5% of total employment in Scotland and private sector employment accounted for 78.5%.17/12/2019
Worrying Trends As Scottish Local Authorities Need To Make More Cuts and Increase Charges
Audit Scotland today (17 December 2019) has published its report on Scottish Councils funding highlighting the problems of ever decreasing budgets. Despite the last few years of redesign and cuts more is necessary unless Scottish Government increases funding.
16/12/2019
New vehicle restrictions at Highland Council Household Waste Recycling Centres
From the 3rd February 2020, The Highland Council will be introducing changes at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC). These changes will be introduced in two phases with phase one focussing on vehicle restrictions which will commence on 3rd February 2020.16/12/2019
Highland Council's Strategic Committees To Increase In 2020
The number of Highland Council's strategic committees will increase whilst the number of committee members on each will reduce. This is part of the initiatives to improve performance an save money.9/12/2019
An increase in foster carer payments is agreed by Highland council
Members have approved a proposal to substantially increase the payment to foster carers at the meeting of Highland Council today, Monday 9 December 2019. The new payment proposal recognises the valuable role of foster carers in providing a home and care for the most vulnerable children within their Highland community.9/12/2019
Councillors agree further work following survey backing introduction of tourist levy
Highland councillors today approved the findings of a public consultation supporting the introduction of a Highland Transient Visitor Levy and committed to further work to develop an optimal scheme for Highland. The results of more than 6600 responses gathered through online and face-to-face surveys, alongside a pre-consultation with the tourism industry and written submissions received from representatives from the tourism industry and local communities were considered by Members.9/12/2019
Equally safe at work
Highland council members today (9 December 2019) wholeheartedly gave their support to a report to Council on tackling gender-based violence. Highland Council has been working closely with trade union colleagues and Close the Gap to create a zero-tolerance culture towards gender-based violence.9/12/2019
Your Vote Counts
Voters in the three Highland constituencies for the UK Parliamentary general election of: Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Ross, Skye and Lochaber; and Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey are being reminded by Returning Officer Donna Manson that their vote matters. On Thursday 12 December voting begins with all Highland polling stations opening their doors at 7am and remaining open for voters until 10pm.5/12/2019
955 Empty Highland Properties Now Charged Double Council Tax
A question from Councillor Ben Thomson to Highland Council meeting next week. To the Chair of the Corporate Resources Committee "What reassurance can the Council provide that it is applying discretion where appropriate to the imposition of the 200% Council Tax rate applicable to empty homes? i.e.5/12/2019
Proposed increase in foster carer payments to be considered at council
Members will be asked to approve a proposal to substantially increase the payment to foster carers at the meeting of Highland Council on Monday 9 December 2019. The new payment proposal recognises the valuable role of foster carers in providing a home and care for the most vulnerable children within their Highland community.5/12/2019
Guidance for parents aims to ‘provide best start for young people across Highland'
New guidance for parents and carers who wish to apply for deferred or early entry to Highland schools for their children has been approved (subject to some additional conditions agreed) by Members of The Highland Council's Care, Learning and Housing Committee. The guidance is helping to deliver the Council's Programme priority to ‘expand early years provision and provide the best start for young people across Highland’.4/12/2019
Reducing The Attainment Gap For Young People In Highland
Improving literacy and numeracy is giving more young people a better chance of fulfilling their potential in life. Highland Council is committed to tackling poverty and inequality and enabling all our children and young people to reach their full potential, with a focus on reducing the attainment gap for those from more disadvantaged communities across the Highlands.4/12/2019
Public views sought for taxi fare review in Highland
The public is being asked for its views on proposals by The Highland Council to review the maximum level of charges for the hire of taxis or private hire cars fitted with taxi meters operating under licence of The Highland Council. The Council has a statutory duty in terms of Section 17 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 to review its scales for the fares and other taxi related charges every 18 months.
21/11/2019
New Lead Officer For Improvement Collaborative
Helen Budge, Director of Children's Services at Shetland Islands Council, has taken up the mantle as Lead Officer for the Northern Alliance. She will be supported in leading the improvement collaborative by a quality improvement manager, working with Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles), Highland, Moray, Orkney and Shetland councils to improve the life chances of children and young people.
21/11/2019
Gaelic And Cultural Development In The Region Is Progressing Well
Highland councillors welcome report which says Gaelic and cultural development in the region is progressing well. Highland councillors today warmly welcomed Chief Executive Donna Manson's report to the Corporate Resources committee that highlights the progress being made in relation to Gaelic and cultural development in the region.21/11/2019
Glowing report for Council's Apprenticeship Programme
The Highland Council Modern Apprenticeship Programme recently achieved a top grading following a three-day Quality Assurance Assessment from Skills Development Scotland. The Council's Modern Apprenticeship provision has been designed so it can utilise current resources to deliver high quality training to new and existing employees.19/11/2019
Voters Urged To Check Their Poll Cards
Poll cards for people across the Highlands who are registered to vote in the UK Parliamentary Election will start to be issued from Wednesday onwards (20 November). Already 185,469 people living in the Highlands are registered to vote in the UK Parliamentary election.17/11/2019
SNP Hold Inverness Central After Highland Council Bi-election
The by-election for a councillor to represent Inverness Central - Ward 14 on The Highland Council has been won by Emma Roddick - Scottish National Party (SNP) who was one of six candidates who contested the vacancy. Voting was by the single transferable vote and Emma Roddick emerged as the winner at the third stage of the count.15/11/2019
Candidates Confirmed for UK Parliamentary General Election 2019
18 candidates are seeking election on Thursday 12 December 2019 for the three Highland UK Parliamentary general election constituencies. Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency has attracted 5 candidates; Ross, Skye and Lochaber constituency 7 candidates; and Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey constituency 6 candidates.
14/11/2019
