News Archive
23/8/2018
Highland Council Budget Leader Announces Further Squeeze on Spending
Budget Leader highlights early action required to address overspend. The Corporate Revenue Monitoring Statement for Quarter 1 (Apr - June 18), which will go to the Council's Corporate Resources Committee next week, is projecting a £5.1 m overspend for the year.
23/8/2018
BREXIT No Deal Proposals Set Out By UK Government
How things will change under BREXIT from the EU is still essentially unknown but today the UK government published its thought on a NO Deal situation by 29th March 2019. Food, Credit Cards, Farm Payments, Banking, Finance, Atomic Agreements, Money Laundering and much more.22/8/2018
Council to consult on set school Easter holiday
A proposal to set a fixed school holiday for the first 2 weeks in April each year from 2019 onwards will go out to consultation by The Highland Council's Care and Learning Service. The service will consult with Head Teachers, Parent Councils, the Local Negotiating Committee for Teacher representatives and other relevant educational establishments in Highland.22/8/2018
Council to consult on closure of Altnaharra Primary School
Members of The Highland Council's Care, Learning and Housing Committee have agreed for the Council to conduct a statutory consultation on a proposal to discontinue the provision of education at Altnaharra Primary School and to formally close the school. In a report to committee, Councillors were informed that the school has been mothballed since February 2017 and that there are no prospective pupils in the foreseeable future, and no long term prospect of the school having a viable roll.22/8/2018
Science Skills Academy progress welcomed by Councillors
Progress on the development of the ground-breaking Science Skills Academy initiative in Highland has been welcomed by Members of The Highland Council's Care, Learning and Housing Committee. Councillor Andrew Baxter, Chair of the Care, Learning and Housing Committee said: "I commend the work that the Science Skills Academy is achieving in bringing exciting opportunities for young people to experience the applicability of STEM subjects.22/8/2018
The persistent myth about the financial crisis and living standards
It has become commonplace to describe the period since the Great Recession with lots of dramatic words—not only referring to the financial crisis itself, but how the economy and household living standards have stagnated. Growth in average living standards has been described as 'terrible' or 'disastrous', while there has been much talk of a 'cost of living crisis' and a 'squeezed middle'.22/8/2018
Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland 2017-18
A National Statistics Publication for Scotland. The publication of Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) 2017-18 was announced today by Scotland's Chief Statistician.22/8/2018
Public Finances Continue To Improve
Scotland's public finances are continuing to improve, with total revenue reaching £60 billion, as the economy grew twice as fast as the UK at the start of 2018. Onshore tax revenue increased by £2 billion in 2017-18, with offshore revenue increasing by more than £1 billion according to the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS) figures published today.21/8/2018
9% Pay Rise For NHS Workers Over 3 Yeas
NHS employees and unions in Scotland have formally accepted a pay rise of at least 9% over the next three years. The increase, which is the most generous health pay uplift anywhere in the UK, will benefit 147,000 ‘Agenda for Change' employees including all nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals.20/8/2018
Caithness And North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update
19 August 2018 Energy & Business Services: It was good to meet this week with Mike Muir of M2 Procurement & Commercial Services. Mike has extensive experience in procurement and commercial services, particularly in the nuclear sector, and I was delighted to hear that M2PCS has recently been awarded a contract to help develop the "Open4Business" portal that SSE has used to advertise many of its supply chain contracts.17/8/2018
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd -Sale 16 August 2017
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (August, 16th) sold 13,251 store lambs at their annual district sale to average £50.91 (-£1.63 on the year). Cheviot wedder lambs (5,644) averaged £47.89 (-£1.47) and sold to £70.00 gross twice from 1 Dounie, Edderton & Park Farm, Strathpeffer.16/8/2018
Winter service policy approved for Highland Council roads
The Winter Service Policy for The Highland Council this coming winter 2018/19 has been approved by Members of the Council's Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee. The Council's policy relates to clearing and gritting of Highland Council adopted roads, cycle ways, footways and footpaths.16/8/2018
Council agrees site for Materials Recovery Facility
The Council's Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee has today agreed the Longman Landfill site in Inverness as the preferred location to construct a new centralised waste management facility (Materials Recovery Facility) to recover recyclates and produce Refuse Derived Fuel, as the Council's preferred interim arrangements for meeting the requirements of the ban on landfilling which commences in January 2021. This facility will process all of the Highland’s 83,000 tonnes of residual (non-recyclable) waste from 2021 onwards.16/8/2018
5-year Parking Policy for Highland drives forward
A 5 year Parking Policy and Guidance for The Highland Council area has been approved by Members of the Council's Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee. The policy, which is required by the local authority to underpin its enforcement of decriminalised parking will cover the period from 2018 - 2023.16/8/2018
Council support for Caithness flight connectivity
Highland Council Members have agreed to support the efforts of Caithness Transport Forum and Wick JOG Airport Consultative Committee to improve flight connectivity at Wick John O' Groats airport. Members were informed at Highland Council's headquarters today (16 August 2018) that both organisations are pressing to have investigation work carried out on the potential to have a Public Service Obligation (PSO) created on one of the flight routes.16/8/2018
Supplementary Guidance on Developer Contributions in Highland to be adopted
Planning guidance approved by the Highland Council today (Thursday 16 August 2018) has updated the financial contributions that new developments will be required to make towards facilities including schools, roads and the provision of affordable housing. Members of the Highland Council's Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee today agreed to adopt the Developer Contributions Supplementary Guidance (DCSG) after a public consultation was undertaken in early 2018.16/8/2018
Facility Lettings (School Lets) Review Makes Progress
Improvements to the management of facility lets in Highland Council properties (including schools) has been welcomed by Members of The Highland Council's Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee. Committee Chair, Cllr Allan Henderson said: "I would like to thank staff for the large amount of work has been undertaken since October 2016 when the Council's Redesign Board recommended the transfer of management of school lets to the Development and Infrastructure Service.16/8/2018
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd -Sale 15 August 2018
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (August, 15th) sold 38 store cattle and 14 adult head of breeding cattle. Bullocks (13) sold to 217.1p per kg for a 350kg Limousin cross from Ardnagrask, Muir of Ord and £1,110 gross for a 670kg Shorthorn from Badden, Kiltarlity.15/8/2018
Early Loans For Farmers Being Made Available
Funding released to help mitigate impacts of adverse weather. A National Basic Payment Support Scheme (NBPSS) has been launched, providing vital financial support for Scottish farmers, following months of adverse weather conditions.15/8/2018
