News Archive

Wick Centre Main Streets - 3 Weeks of Road Resurfacing and Drainage works

Highland council have announced resurfacing & drainage works being carried out on A99 Cliff Road, Bridge Street, High Street, George Street & North Road in Wick from Thursday 4 Jul 24 for approx 3 weeks.   Road closure will be in place from Wed 10Jul - Sat 14 Jul between 10am & 3pm daily for the corner of Bridge Street & High Street to enable works.  

Labour Is Putting Its Plans For Britain In The Hands Of Private Finance. It Could End Badly

Daniela Gabor is professor of economics and macrofinance at UWE Bristol and she has written an extremely interesting article at the Guardian on private finance coming into the UK's infrastructure.   Handing vital infrastructure to private investment companies will generate windfalls for investors and leave the rest of us worse off.  

Will The Bank of Scotland Closure In Wick Be the End The Town Centre

The footfall in Wick is already much reduced from earlier years will the last bank closing be he final nail in the coffin of Wick town centre.   With several empty shops in the town centre from Bridge Street to High Street it would seem likely that footfall will reduce even further when Bank of Scotland closes the branch on Bridge Street - 25 June 2025.  

Who May Or May Not Switch Their Votes On Thursday 4 July

The results of a new Ipsos UK KnowledgePanel survey tracked the voting intentions of the same group of over 15,000 British adults between January and June.   Beneath the surface of the latest political polls, a new Ipsos survey on the Ipsos online random probability UK KnowledgePanel reveals a notable degree of voter volatility.  

One Third Of People May Not Bother To Vote

Apart from missing postal voters a big number of people may not vote at all.   So is it apathy or feeling it will not make a difference who is in power.  

New Public Toilets Finally Opened In Wick

A shining example of partnership in action has enabled the reopening of a much-needed public convenience in Wick which was closed for two years due to significant vandalism and anti-social behaviour.   The town of Wick has over 7,500 residents, is a community hub for the surrounding local rural area of East Caithness and has seen a considerable increase in the number of visitors due to the popularity of the NC500 and the increase in staycation visitors.  

Roads Across Highland To Benefit Over 20 Years From The £2.1bn Highland Investment Plan

Highland Council's £2.1 billion twenty-year investment plan will add significant capital on top of existing and additional new commitments of £50 million for roads and transport infrastructure agreed as part of the 2024 budget setting process.   £63.4m will be spent on roads and infrastructure improvements over the next 3 years.  

Consultation On Crofting Reform - Public To Help Shape Plans For The Reform Of Crofting

People across Scotland are being invited to have a say on how crofting is reformed.   A programme of meetings will take place from 3 July to 15 August, stretching from Oban to Shetland - Thurso meeting Park Hotel 4 July 2024.  

The Highland Campervan And Motorhome Scheme - £40 For Seven Days

A new voluntary scheme is now open to all campervan and motorhome users travelling across Highland, with the principle aim of delivering sustainable and responsible tourism in the Highlands.   Earlier this year, the public, partners, and the Highland Council's staff were invited to take part in a survey and share suggestions ahead of the Council's budget for 2024/25.  

Who's Got A Polling Card? The Most Are Older and Property Owners

Much hay has been made in recent years about age becoming a stronger predictor of vote than class (we wrote about it here).  So, the age distribution of voter registration is eyebrow raising.