News Archive
16/1/2015
Bad Weather Bogus Traders Warning
Police Scotland Highland and Islands Division, in conjunction with Highland Council Trading Standards, has issued a warning to householders to be vigilant of bogus callers following the recent stormy weather. With gale-force wind and heavy rain sweeping the Highland and Islands last week, householders may have experienced damage to property and will be seeking to have repairs carried out over the coming weeks.16/1/2015
Binning Barnett would be Bad for Scotland says North MSP
Highlands & Islands (Labour) MSP and Shadow Minister for Transport and the Islands David Stewart speaking today (16/1/15) said " We are now seeing a full blown crisis in the North Sea. The price of oil is less than half of what the Scottish Government predicted it would be last year".15/1/2015
Council welcomes ‘Developing Scotland's Young Workforce’ in Highland
Proposals to deliver the Scottish Government's report on "Developing Scotland's Young Workforce" in the Highlands have been welcomed by Members of The Highland Council’s Education, Children and Adult Services Committee this week. Members were informed that an implementation strategy for Highland’s young people will need to take into account: · industry engagement in developing general education Curriculum for Excellence; · specific vocational pathways leading to industry recognised qualifications; · college systems focussed on employability; · apprenticeship opportunities and advanced qualifications through work based learning; and · a systematic approach to business sector engagement.15/1/2015
Council review of Facilities Management
Highland Council Members have agreed the terms of reference for a review of the Facilities Management model which is being rolled out in schools across the Highlands. In 2010 the Council previously agreed to take forward the Facilities Management model, the benefits of which were expected to: · create of a universal support function to assist Head Teachers with property and grounds management; · create a standardised operating model under specialist line management arrangements; · create standardised job descriptions ensuring a consistent approach to facilities management across all schools; and · is affordable within the Council's current budget allocation.15/1/2015
New Rules To Make Getting Mortgages Harder
The Money Advice Service is highlighting the new rules that will make obtaining a mortgage much harder than in the past. Much stricter rules and enforcement will mean borrowers having to prove they can afford repayments and take into account running costs of the new home and possibly be able to afford increases in repayments should interest rates rise.14/1/2015
Dingwall & Highland Marts - Sale 14 January2014
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (January, 14th) sold 1,997 sheep of all classes. Lambs (988) averaged £61.96 and sold to £82 gross for Suffolk cross ewe lambs from Bogallan, North Kessock.14/1/2015
Update on Caithness General Hospital for District Partnership Meeting
The next Caithness District Partnership meets on Friday 30 January in Thurso and issues to be discussed will include updates on Caithness General Hospital and the Children's Care Partnership. The Highland Council’s Director of Care and Learning, Bill Alexander, will also deliver a presentation on District Partnerships, Community Development and Community Planning and the NHS Director of Adult Social Care, Joanna Macdonald, along with Deborah Jones, the NHS Chief Operating Officer, will provide an update on Adult Social Care initiatives.13/1/2015
A Million Unemployed People Receiving No Government Help Into Work, Councils Warn
More than a million unemployed people are falling through cracks in national work schemes that are failing to reach some of the most vulnerable jobseekers, councils warn today. Latest employment figures released in December show that the number of unemployed people not claiming Jobseeker's Allowance has passed one million for the first time.12/1/2015
Severe weather update - Highland Council - 5.30pm 12 January 2015
Two Highland Council roads and 12 schools remain closed or affected today (Monday 12 January) following the severe weather. Newhall Bridge B9163 on the Black Isle is closed until further notice, due to structural damage.12/1/2015
What the TalkTalk acquisition of Tesco Broadband and Blinkbox might mean for customers
Ewan Taylor-Gibson, broadband and TV expert at uSwitch.com, says:"TalkTalk's move shows it's deadly serious about making its TV proposition a success. How it plans to integrate Blinkbox with YouView remains to be seen - although its highly likely TalkTalk customers will still have to pay as they go for the Blinkbox content on offer.12/1/2015
'DON'T RISK IT' Festive Drink Drive Campaign - Figures for Highland and Islands
New figures from Police Scotland have today (12 January 2015) revealed that there has been a 55% decrease in the number of people caught drink-driving over the festive period. The new lower drink drive limit of 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath came into force on 5 December 2014, bringing Scotland into line with much of the rest of Europe.11/1/2015
Highland Schools Update - 11 January 2015
DUE to storm damage, two schools, may not be open on Monday. Brora Primary School and Canisbay Primary School have both suffered some roof damage.11/1/2015
A9 CLOSURE - ROAD TRAFFIC COLLISION as at 6.06pm
The A9 is currently closed at Tomatin owing to a two vehicle road traffic collision. North and south bound traffic are advised to divert through the village of Tomatin.11/1/2015
A new environmental competition aimed at businesses across Scotland has been launched
The £800,000 competition aims to develop innovative solutions through private-public sector collaboration to recover phosphorus and other nutrients and chemicals from water for beneficial use. The competition is the first by a public agency in Scotland to use the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), a process which connects public sector challenges with innovative ideas from small companies, microbusinesses and spinouts across all sectors.10/1/2015
Most Northerly Phone Shop In The UK Opens At Tesco Wick
Techno-geeks and trend conscious phone users in the town of Wick and its surrounding areas will no longer have to rely on the internet or have to travel to Inverness to suss out which of the latest smartphones suits them best. That's because following an extensive refresh the Tesco superstore in Wick has seen a Tesco Phone Shop added to the many services it offers.
10/1/2015
Multi-agency partners issue further advice following prevailing severe weather
Multi-agency partners are continuing to monitor and respond to incidents regarding the severe weather which has affected the Highlands and Islands since Thursday evening. Conditions have improved a little over most of the area.10/1/2015
Update on severe weather across Highlands and Islands
Following the reports of both amber and yellow weather warnings for high wind speeds across the Highlands and Islands, a multi-agency partnership known as the Highlands and Islands Local Resilience Partnership (HILRP) was established to monitor the effects of the severe weather conditions across the region. Last night (Thursday 09 January 2015), wind speeds of around 100mph, caused disruption to transport and services across the area.10/1/2015
Continuing Power Problems
Strategic and local multi-agency tactical meetings are continuing to take place to assess and manage the impact of the severe weather. The storm force winds and snow have caused considerable disruption and severely hampered repairs to power networks and clearing of roads across the area.10/1/2015
Traders and Tanker-Owners Set to Cash-in on Falling Oil Prices, as Market Enters Contango
- Tumbling price has caused the market to move into a steep contango, meaning investors are willing to pay a premium to receive oil at a later date. - Traders with storage facilities set to cash-in by storing oil at sea and locking-in higher future prices, providing profits for shareholders.9/1/2015
