News Archive
13/12/2016
Highland Education Stars Sought For National Awards
Nominations now open for Scottish Education Awards 2017. The search for the Highlands' brightest education stars is underway as nominations are open for the Scottish Education Awards 2017.13/12/2016
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 13 December 2016
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (December, 13th) sold 41 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (13) averaged 203.4p (+3.4p) and sold to 216.0p per kg and £1,447.95 gross.13/12/2016
Highland Leader Calls For Flat Cash Settlement
Speaking after attending today's COSLA meeting, Leader of the Council, Margaret Davidson said: "The Highland Council’s services, along with other Local Authorities’, have been cut to the bone after years of real terms reduction in funding from the Scottish Government. Since 2010/11 the Council has made savings of £135m, with £39m in this year alone.13/12/2016
£6.6 Million Available For Projects In The Highlands
The Highland LEADER Programme is encouraging potential applicants to come forward with project ideas. Funding of over £6.6 million is available for projects that will benefit communities across the Highlands.11/12/2016
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update
Energy & business services: I met this week with RES Offshore, who are working on the Dounreay Tri project, which is seeking consent to build a floating offshore wind demonstrator at a site north of Dounreay. Myself and Alan Ogg of North Highland College met with Senior Developer Jack Farnham to discuss the potential for jobs associated with the operation & maintenance of the project.11/12/2016
Mobile Ticketing Launched Across Stagecoach North Scotland
Customers across Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands can now benefit from the convenience of using the Stagecoach Bus app to instantly buy and download day tickets to their smartphone. Payments via the app can be made by PayPal, or via debit or credit card.10/12/2016
Highland Council proposes scheme to make workforce reductions
Members of The Highland Council will be asked to approve a proposed scheme to make workforce reductions at the Council meeting on 15 December. The Employee Early Release Scheme (EERS) is designed to make reductions in the council workforce in a way that is affordable and in line with the reductions in funding available for the 2017/18 budget.8/12/2016
Taxi fare review in Highland 2016/17
The Highland Licensing Committee is recommending a number of changes to existing taxi fares following an annual review. The proposed changes, which would take effect from end March next year, are: • Increase Tariff 1 running mileage from £1.40 to £1.50 per mile; •Increase waiting time from the current £18.00 per hour to £25 per hour.8/12/2016
Smoking in cars with children
New law which makes it illegal to smoke in a vehicle carrying anyone under 18 came into force on Monday 5 December. The legislation was passed unanimously by the Scottish Parliament last year.3/12/2016
The Old Salt Store
Introducing 'THE OLD SALT STORE' at Heat Centre, Burn Street, WICK, the new in-store shop stocking Cookware, Dinnerware, Bakeware and Drinkware including Le Creuset and Denby. Opening hours Monday to Friday - 0900 hours to 1700 hours Saturday - 1000 hours to 1600 hours.
3/12/2016
Extending FOI to landlords
Views sought on extending FOI legislation to Registered Social Landlords. The Scottish Government is launching a consultation on proposals to extend FOI legislation to Registered Social Landlords.30/11/2016
Further delay to Wick Campus handover and opening
The Highland Council has been notified by hub North Scotland Limited that the expected handover date for the Wick Campus facility is now Thursday 8 December 2016, slipped from Friday 2 December as previously notified to stakeholders. The Council is deeply disappointed by this further delay, and has escalated concerns with hub North Scotland Limited and Morrison Construction Limited to understand reasons for the delay, and seek assurances on the revised handover date.30/11/2016
Standard of living more costly in rural Scotland
The level of income required to afford a socially acceptable standard of living and to participate in society is ten to thirty per cent more expensive in remote rural Scotland than elsewhere in the UK. The report on Minimum Income Standard for Remote Rural Scotland 2016, published today (Wednesday 30 November), was commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Enterprise (SE), the Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum (RIHAF) and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA).30/11/2016
More Than 30,000 Bricks Removed From Redundant Plant
More than 30,000 bricks have been removed from three pits within a redundant facility as part of a project to decommission a former effluent treatment plant. A scaffold platform has been constructed to allow operators, wearing full airline suits, access to remove the bricks using small electrically operated hand tools.
27/11/2016
Brown bin service stops for winter
With the onset of winter, householders are reminded that The Highland Council garden waste collections will cease for a period of 3 months from the beginning of December. There will be no brown bin collections in December 2016, January or February 2017.
27/11/2016
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 25 November 2016
FORT WILLIAM, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (November, 25th) sold 925 store sheep of all classes. Lambs (567) sold to £75.50 gross for a pen of Suffolk crosses from East Croft Roy, Newtonmore.27/11/2016
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update
Week commencing 21 November 2016 Energy & business services: Representatives of the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd were in Wick yesterday (Thursday 24th) to give a public update on progress with the project, and perhaps more specifically with plans to use Wick harbour as the Operations & Maintenance base for the project. The event was very busy, and it was great to be able to talk to key personnel involved in the project.27/11/2016
Review into capital projects identifies recent improvements
The initial findings of a review into the delivery of educational capital projects have identified a number of recent improvements and recommendations are being developed for future arrangements. The review commenced in October at the request of the Council Leader following a number of issues with programming and quality in capital projects for new schools.27/11/2016
Brexit hits households hard
Family budgets to be further squeezed following Autumn Statement. As the impact of the Chancellor's Autumn Statement is examined by think-tanks and independent analysts, it is clear that the UK’s weak economic outlook and the UK Government’s austerity policies will hit low income family incomes hardest, Finance Minister Derek Mackay said.25/11/2016
