Other Public Services News
18/12/2019
Agreement urgently needed on police authority's functions
Greater clarity is needed around the core functions and finances of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) so that it can build a modern and financially stable police service. A report on 17 December 2019 from the Auditor General highlights some progress over the last year amid a raft of new appointments to Police Scotland, including a new chief constable and three deputies, and seven new members to the SPA Board.
3/12/2019
Dounreay Heritage Annual Report 2018 To 2019
Dounreay heritage strategy - Updated 26 November 2019 The Dounreay Heritage Strategy was published in 2010 and is managed by the DSRL heritage officer with advice from a panel of external experts from Historic Environment Scotland (HES), National Museums Scotland (NMS), Highlife Highland (HLH) and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The Heritage Advisory Panel held its ninth meeting on 26 March 2019 in Nucleus: The Nuclear and Caithness Archives.27/10/2019
Decommissioning In Japan - Learning From Dounreay
As part of the nuclear sector deal, to foster ever-stronger links between the British and Japanese nuclear industry, Councillor Struan Mackie who represents Thurso and North West Caithness on Highland Council (Deputy-Chair of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group) undertook a five day Japanese visit to discuss the impact of nuclear decommissioning on local communities with stakeholders in Tsuruga City, Fukui prefecture. The whistle-stop visit included two days in Tsuruga on , the home of the Japanese Atomic Energy Agencies fast reactor ‘Monju', is generally regarded to be a ‘partner plant' to Dounreay's PFR in Caithness.
26/10/2019
Dounreay Supplier Day Looks At Clean-up Opportunities
Dounreay's latest supplier information day, hosted jointly with companies appointed to its decommissioning services framework, has proved popular with companies from around the UK. Around 200 people packed into a venue in Wick, Caithness to hear about plans for future work to decommission the site.
23/10/2019
Dounreay Waste Store Construction Work Ahead Of Schedule
Construction work on the latest radioactive waste store at Dounreay is setting records. The concrete floor slab has just been completed ahead of schedule and with an excellent safety record.
23/10/2019
The Pensions Regulator Authorises Combined Nuclear Pension Plan Master Trust
This latest approval brings the total number of schemes authorised by TPR up to 35, following the approval of the University of Oxford Staff Pension Scheme earlier this month (8 October). CNPP is an industry-wide scheme, set up in 2006, for workers in the nuclear decommissioning industry.15/10/2019
Half the fuel gone from iconic Dounreay reactor
Half of the last remaining radioactive fuel elements jammed for decades inside the iconic Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR) have now been removed. DFR with its famous dome once led the world in fast breeder technology.
14/10/2019
New Drug Driving Laws To Be Introduced
Motorists face roadside drugs test. Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has welcomed Police Scotland's preparations for the introduction of new drug driving laws on 21 October.19/9/2019
Community Projects Benefit Over £80k In CNS Fund Latest Funding
Seven community projects are to benefit from over £80k of funding following the Caithness & North Sutherland Fund's latest grant awards. CNSFund Chairperson David Glass said "Our latest funding includes improvements to youth activities, community and recreational facilities as well as progressing an ambitious project to establish a major visitor attraction in Caithness.3/9/2019
Dounreay Apprentices Celebrate Completion Of Training Scheme
Seven Dounreay apprentices have received their indenture certificates at a special event to mark the successful conclusion of their 4-year training programme. The latest group ‘graduating' joined the company in 2015 - the 60th year apprentices had been part of the workforce at Dounreay and the first time in more than a decade that design office apprentices had been recruited.
1/9/2019
Pentland Housing Association enter into negotiations with Cairn Housing
Pentland Housing Association has decided to transfer to Cairn Housing Association following a strategic review. Tenants, staff and board members were all involved in the review which was set up to plan for the future of the Association and how it provides homes and services to tenants and other customers.
31/8/2019
Mobile devices introduced for Highland & Islands officers
Police officers in the Highlands and Islands will start using mobile devices as part of their operational duties which will increase their visibility within local communities. Officers will be able to access a wide range of police systems while out on duty without the requirement to return to a police station and log on to a computer.28/8/2019
A new intermediate waste store is being constructed at Dounreay.
The first concrete pour has taken place on a new waste store at Dounreay that will be needed for the closure of the site. Dounreay awarded the contract to construct the new intermediate level waste store to GRAHAM Construction Ltd.
19/8/2019
New Apprenticeship Hub to Support North Highland Communities
North Highland College UHI and Developing the Young Workforce North Highland (DYW) initiative, led by Caithness Chamber of Commerce, have signed a partnership agreement to formalise their new initiative, The Apprenticeship Hub. The initiative aims to create a collaborative approach between North Highland College UHI and Developing the Young Workforce North Highland to support growth in the apprenticeship family to benefit the Caithness and Sutherland economy.
1/8/2019
£3m For Scrabster Harbour Project
The second phase in a major upgrade of Scrabster Harbour in Caithness has secured up to £3m investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The funding will enable the redevelopment of the existing St.
27/7/2019
Hold The Date For The NDA Supply Chain Event At A New Venue In 2020
The event, now in its ninth year, has been an overwhelming success in engaging with the suppliers who are so essential to achieving our decommissioning mission. Since launching in 2011, the event has attracted a total of around 10,000 visitors from more than 20 countries, representing thousands of companies both large and small.17/7/2019
Community Fund Awards Over £70k To Support Leisure Activities!
The Caithness & North Sutherland Fund has committed over £70k to six community projects in its latest round of grant awards. CNSFund Chairperson David Glass said "This latest investment supports improvements to recreational amenities and events in Caithness & North Sutherland, helping to ensure that people living and visiting our area can enjoy a high standard of leisure activities.
16/7/2019
NDA Stakeholder Summit 2019 Main Highlights
This was the NDA's third summit, and the inspirational setting of the new Coleg Menai facilities, on Anglesey in North Wales, perfectly reflected the NDA’s approach to building sustainable post-nuclear communities around its estate. Some £4 million of funding from the NDA’s socio-economic budget has been used to create a state-of-the-art educational facility at the heart of the island.
3/7/2019
External Force Asked To Review Death Of Kevin Mcleod
Police Scotland has asked for an independent review into the death of a man whose body was recovered from Wick Harbour more than 20 years ago. Senior representatives of Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service met with the family of Kevin Mcleod earlier today to inform them that, following consultation with the Lord Advocate, Chief Constable Iain Livingstone has requested Merseyside Police carry out a detailed review of the case under the direction of the Crown.18/6/2019
