Local Authority News
19/2/2014
Job opportunities on offer to Gaelic speaking students
Up to 25 job opportunities will be available to young Gaels over the summer months as a result of a longstanding partnership between Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Comunn na GÃ idhlig (CnaG). The job opportunities will be available through the Students Summer Placement Scheme, which offers Gaelic-speaking students placements with businesses and organisations where Gaelic is the language of the workplace.19/2/2014
Supply teacher recruitment campaign reaps returns for Highland schools
The initial success of an advertising campaign to recruit supply teachers for Highland Council schools has resulted in the local authority running a second recruitment campaign. Members of the Council’s Adult and Children’s Services committee were today (19 February) informed that a recruitment campaign using advertorials in local and national newspapers in December 2013 attracted expressions of interest from 52 teachers.19/2/2014
Council approves steps to deliver 600 hours funded early learning and childcare
Highland parents and families are to benefit from the introduction of 600 hours funded early learning and childcare from August this year. The Highland Council’s Adult and Children’s Services Committee have approved a suite of measures to enable the Council’s delivery of 600 hours on early learning and childcare by August 2014.14/2/2014
Radon Gas Found In Five Highland Schools Including Halkirk
As part of an on-going monitoring programme, recent radon testing in five Highland schools has found high levels of radon gas. The schools are Glen Urquhart High School, Drumnadrochit; Glen Urquhart Primary School, Drumnadrochit; Helmsdale Primary School; Halkirk Primary School; and Kilchuimen Primary and Academy, Fort Augustus, which is a shared campus.12/2/2014
Closer look at Census figures for Caithness and Sutherland
The demographics of Caithness and Sutherland were under the spotlight yesterday (Tuesday 11 February) when Members of the Area Committee took the opportunity to look in some detail at the results from the 2011 census. Since 2001 the population of Caithness and Sutherland has grown by 3.3% with an increase in four out of six Wards, and at a local level in 34 out of 58 data zones.12/2/2014
Update at Area Committee as Peatlands project funding application submitted
At yesterday's (Tuesday 11 February) Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee members were given an update on progress for the Flow to the Future project, an ambitious multi-million pound project to restore seven square miles of globally important peatlands which is being co-ordinated by RSPB on behalf of the Peatlands Partnership. The Peatlands Partnership was formed in 2007 and promotes the special nature and interests of the peatlands of Caithness and Sutherland (the Flow Country).
12/2/2014
Land reform top of the agenda at Area Committee
The first item on yesterday's Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee was Land Reform with the meeting starting with a presentation by David Cameron, Convener of Community Land Scotland. Members then took the opportunity to discuss in particular the overview of land reform issues in Sutherland.12/2/2014
Taxi fare review in Highland
Review The public is being asked for its views on proposals by The Highland Council to increase the cost of all fares, regardless of the distance travelled by 30p. It is also proposed that the charge applied to compensate for the cost of the outward journey for hires which commence 3 miles or more away from the taxi or taxi base (whichever is the nearer) and where the customer wishes to travel further away be increased from a maximum of ��6.50 to a maximum of ��7.50.7/2/2014
Results of Community Council interim elections
Six Highland community councils are able to continue operating following recent interim elections. Nominations were invited from 21 January to 5 February 2014 for persons seeking election to Community Councils serving Caithness West; East Nairnshire; Inverlochy; Raigmore; Sinclairs Bay; and Wick In each case, the number of candidates nominated was less than the number of councillors to be returned, so no elections will take place, and the list of candidates for each community council are now declared to be elected as councillors.7/2/2014
Rent Arrears Rise May Be Due To Bedroom Tax
Housing Regulator publishes research on rent arrears six months into Welfare Reform. The Scottish Housing Regulator today published the findings of the second phase of its research on the early impact of Welfare Reform on social landlords.6/2/2014
Council extends consultation period on amendments to public entertainment licensing
The Highland Licensing Committee has extended until Friday 21 March the period of consultation for proposed amendments and additions to activities requiring a public entertainment licence. The original deadline was Friday 7 February but the Licensing Committee, meeting on Tuesday 4 February, agreed this should be extended following a number of representations received from outdoor activity providers and to allow time to obtain further information on the extent to which such activities are already regulated by other authorities/bodies.5/2/2014
Kessock Bridge Resurfacing Begins on 10th February For 20 Weeks
The resurfacing of Kessock Bridge, Inverness, is being carried out by Bear Scotland on behalf of Transport Scotland (the Scottish Government agency responsible for the maintenance of the A9 and Kessock Bridge). The second phase begins on Monday 10 February 2014 and continues for 20 weeks.
5/2/2014
Population on the up in Skye, Ross and Cromarty
The demographics of Skye, Ross and Cromarty were under the spotlight today (Wednesday 5 February) as Members of the Area Committee took the opportunity to look in some detail at the results from the 2011 census. The population of the Skye, Ross & Cromarty area has grown by 8.6% compared to the Highland average of 11.1%, with an increase in all six Council Wards, and at a local level in 65 out of 85 data zones.3/2/2014
Council asks Commercial premises to clarify how they are disposing of their waste
In an attempt to find out what businesses are doing with their waste, The Highland Council has written to 1,400 non domestic rated premises in Caithness, Sutherland and Skye and Lochalsh that currently do not use the Council’s commercial waste collection service. The letters will be going out over the coming week to a wide range of premises, including hairdressers, workshops, offices, shops, guesthouses and self-catering holiday homes, all of which will be producing waste and by law should be paying for a waste collection.3/2/2014
How will you rate your meal out this Valentine's Day?
After flowers or chocolates, the next big question that's usually on the agenda for Valentine's Day is whether to go out to that romantic restaurant or enjoy a quiet meal in. However you rate a meal out, this Valentine's Day, make sure you choose one of the 85% of eateries in The Highland Council area with a PASS.3/2/2014
River Ness Flood Scheme latest
The Highland Council has advised businesses, residents, cyclists and motorists that to get back on track with the schedule to deliver the River Ness Flood Alleviation and Streetscape Scheme it intends to extend the period of closure of Bank Street to traffic– between Fraser Street and Friars Lane - until May. The Council had planned to reopen Bank Street to through traffic between Ness Bridge and Academy Street on Monday 10 February to coincide with work starting on the second phase of the Kessock Bridge Resurfacing Project.28/1/2014
Planning Chairman clarifies Council clamp down on roadside signage
The Chairman of The Highland Council’s Planning Environment and Development Committee has clarified the Council’s clampdown on roadside signage, stressing that the main targets for action are unauthorised adverts which are long-standing, those which have a substantial adverse impact on amenity and those that give rise to road safety concerns. Councillor Thomas Prag stressed that short-lived signage promoting community events, which did not impact on road safety, were not the focus of the Service’s enforcement action.22/1/2014
Candidates to represent their community sought
Residents in the Highlands are being encouraged to bolster the ranks of their local Community Council as Interim elections take place to fill vacant positions serving eight areas of Nairn, Lochaber, Inverness and Caithness. The Highland Council, who administers the interim elections, are inviting nominations from people looking to fill vacancies on the following Community Councils.20/1/2014
Funding available for Highland Fishing Communities
The Highland Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) has recently been successful in securing further funding to support fishing communities in Highland under Axis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund. Funding of £198,642 is available to help communities where fishing requires supporting measures to build skills and knowledge and increase the capacity of local fishing communities and business networks through innovation, collaboration and diversification.17/1/2014
