Other Public Services News
24/3/2011
Nuclear Shutdown Cash Boost For School Skills
Cash from the closure of the fast reactor site at Dounreay is set to breed a new generation of engineers and scientists in the Scottish Highlands. The money from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will fund half the cost of a £50,000 project to increase the number of school-leavers skilled in science, technology, engineering and maths.23/3/2011
Regeneration Partnership Update 21 March 2011
Business Services: I will be coordinating a meeting this week with representatives from the Pensions Administration Office to update local stakeholders on plans to move the PAO's base from Thurso to the Forss Business & Technology Park. The work done by staff at the PAO is a good example of the type of high-quality employment we would like to encourage as part of the economic transition process taking place over the coming months and years.20/3/2011
Regeneration Partnership Update 14 March 2011
Week commencing 14th March: Energy: Following discussions at the CNSRP Executive Board about the value of pursuing additional mechanisms to encourage inward investment into the area, CNSRP Chairman Sir Anthony Cleaver has this week written to Rt Hon George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to ask for support in making Caithness and North Sutherland one of the 10 Enterprise Zones announced by the coalition UK Government. Copies of the letter have also been sent to Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP (Chief Secretary to the Treasury) and Michael Moore MP (Secretary of State for Scotland).14/3/2011
Regeneration Partnership Report 7 March 2011
Week commencing 7th March Programme activities: Energy: Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore MP was asked by John Thurso MP during Scottish Questions at Westminster this week to support his calls for Caithness to become one of the UK's first Marine Energy Parks. The coalition Government announced this idea recently, and there is a desire in the area to take the idea forward as a means of further emphasising the Pentland Firth's role as the UK hub of marine energy development.8/3/2011
Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Week Comm 28 Feb
Programme activities: Energy: I continue to discuss ways in which the area's assets can be maximised in relation to the marine energy sector. This week discussions have taken place with Highland Council and HIE staff regarding how we might approach Government to make the case for some form of enterprise zone status for the area, and also to take forward proposals to combine existing financial resources within CNSRP partners to provide an even more attractive package for potential investors.22/2/2011
Regeneration Partnership Update - 14 February 2011
From Eann Sinclair Week commencing 14th February 2011 Programme activities: Now that we have agreed our priorities for the 2011-2014 period, work continues to implement the programme of delivery activities. This week I chaired the monthly meeting of the Partnership's Delivery Group, at which colleagues from HIE, Highland Council, DSRL and Caithness Chamber reported on progress with our two priority areas of energy and business services.12/2/2011
Regeneration Partnership - Update 7 Feb 2011
Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update Week commencing 7th February I brought together several local organisations currently working in the energy and renewable energy sector, along with Caithness Chamber of Commerce, to discuss the relative value of a more coherent local voice in the energy sector. Recent local comments on the effective roles played by Orkney Renewable Energy Forum and Shetland Renewable Energy Forum prompted the discussion, and we focused on how existing mechanisms might be used to better effect.29/1/2011
Regeneration Partnership Update - Week Commencing 24 January 2011
Weekly update, 24th January Week commencing 24th January I met with Caithness area Highland Councillors and HIE's Area Manager Roy Kirk to discuss the ongoing issues regarding the future of the tax office in Wick, which is scheduled for closure in 2012. HIE remains keen to incorporate the skills represented in the Wick office into its developing campaigns for inward investment in the priority "business services" sector.27/1/2011
Regeneration Partnership Update - Week Commencing 17 January 2011
Week commencing 17th January From Eann Sinclair - Programme Manage The Partnership's Delivery Group met this week, and discussed progress on our two priority areas of energy and business services. Roy Kirk, HIE's Area Manager reported progress in existing businesses and with targeted inward investment research and campaigns in specific areas of both energy and business services.15/1/2011
Graham Construction Wins £100 million Waste Contract At Dounreay
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd has selected Graham Construction as its preferred bidder for the design and build of a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. The company has headquarters in County Down, Northern Ireland, and operates throughout Scotland from offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
15/1/2011
£2million Plan For Closure At Landfill Site
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd wants to restore an area of land designated as a rubble dump during the construction and operation phases of the site. An estimated 70,000m3 of material from the construction and demolition of buildings was deposited in the area beyond the eastern perimeter of the site from 1960 or so.23/12/2010
Ex UKAEA Boss Appointed To Crown Estates Board
THE CROWN ESTATE REAPPOINTS CHRIS BARTRAM, AND APPOINTS DIPESH SHAH OBE AND ANTHONY WHITE AS NON-EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS The Crown Estate has announced yesterday, 22 December 2010, the re-appointment of Chris Bartram and the appointment of Dipesh Shah and Anthony White as Non-Executive Board Members. Chris Bartram, who has held the appointment as Crown Estate Board Member for four years has been reappointed for a further four year term with effect from 1 January 2011.22/12/2010
Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update 20 December
Weeks commencing 13th & 20th December The Partnership's Executive Board met last week, and discussed the draft 2011-2014 Caithness & North Sutherland Action Plan. I will be making revisions to the Plan based on our discussions, and circulating a revised version aimed at honing down even further our priority activities.12/12/2010
Dounreay Looking For A Building and Ground To Rent
We require a building and adjoining external compound to provide accredited plant based training to our clients. It is a requirement that this training is conducted off the job and in an area free from distractions.5/12/2010
North Division Officers Receive Awards at Ceremony in Wick
Police Officers from North Division received awards at a ceremony at Wick Police Station on 25th November 2010 A total of 18 officers gained awards for long service, academic achievements and commendation for their efforts at a incident or event at the ceremony which took place on Thursday evening (25 November 2010). Seven officers received their long service medals for completing between 20 and 22 years service, two gained their awards for academic qualification and a remaining nine were commended for their commitment to the service.
5/12/2010
Northern Constabulary Roads Report - 1645hrs 5/12/10
The Northern Constabulary force area continues to be affected by snow and low temperatures. All roads in the Northern Constabulary force area are open.30/11/2010
Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration P'ship Update 22 Nov 2010
Week commencing 22nd November This week's main focus has been finalising a draft of the delivery programme that describes how the partners will achieve the aims set out in our 2011-2014 Action Plan. In developing this draft programme I have been working with collegues from HIE in particular.24/11/2010
HIE Board backs £13m investment in major projects
Businesses and communities in Caithness, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides look set to benefit from investment in major infrastructure projects approved today (Monday 22 November) by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The HIE Board (Monday 22 November) has approved grants totalling more than £13m to develop three major projects.7/11/2010
French Nuclear Experts At Dounreay
Four experts from the Autorité de Sureté Nucleaire, the French nuclear safety inspectorate, spent a day at Dounreay discussing the decommissioning of alkali metal cooled fast reactors. The visit was hosted by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate as part of international collaboration over nuclear health and safety matters.7/11/2010
