News Archive
20/4/2015
Postal voters urged to make their vote count
A record number of Highland electors have applied to vote by post for the UK Parliamentary elections on Thursday 7 May. A total 32,151 electors across the three Highland constituencies of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Ross, Skye and Lochaber and Inverness, Nairn and Badenoch and Strathspey will be receiving their postal votes from tomorrow (Tuesday 21 April) onwards.
20/4/2015
Inverness city centre open for business - Flat Fee for Parking of 20p at Rose Street
"It's business as usual for the majority" is the message that multi-agency partners are conveying to the local community and visitors to Inverness following the fire on Academy Street last week. Businesses unaffected by the fire are open and trading as normal.20/4/2015
Latest Broadband Rollouts Announced
More than 14,500 homes and businesses across the Highlands and Islands will be next to benefit from the arrival of high-speed fibre broadband - in the latest phase of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme. Since the £410 million roll-out started last year, over 3,400 km of fibre cable have been laid across Scotland with more than 275,000 homes and businesses now able to connect to fibre broadband.17/4/2015
Traffic arrangements in Inverness following Academy Street fire
Following the fire on Academy Street in Inverness the Multi Agency Response Team, which includes representatives from Police Scotland, The Highland Council, Inverness BID, Stagecoach, Structural Engineers and other partners has been put into effect. Structural information has been obtained which has confirmed that, due to its condition, the building the fire broke out in requires scaffolding to be erected around it to make it safe.
17/4/2015
One week left to register to vote - don't miss out!
The clockis counting down until the 20th April registration deadline for the UK Parliamentary general election the Electoral Commission and Bill Gillies, Electoral Registration Officer for Highland and Western Isles is calling for anyone who isn't yet registered to go online and do so at www.gov.uk/registertovote before it’s too late. The elections watchdog has been running a national media campaign reminding voters that they can’t take part in the election unless they have registered.17/4/2015
Highland postal voters in UK Parliamentary General Election
Issued on behalf of the Returning Officer, Highland People who have applied for a postal vote in Highland for the UK Parliamentary General Election are being urged by the Returning Officer for Highland, Steve Barron to check that they receive their ballot paper. Voters who applied for a postal vote on or before Tuesday 7 April 2015 will be sent their postal ballot paper on Monday 20 April via first class post and should receive it no later than Tuesday 21 April.17/4/2015
Increase in Scottish Electorate
A National Statistics Publication for Scotland. The number of people registered to vote in elections in Scotland continues to rise, according to figures published by National Records of Scotland.17/4/2015
Farm payment application extension
Farmers and crofters will have an extra month to complete form. The Scottish deadline for farmers and crofters to submit their Single Application Form (SAF) has been extended, under flexibility from the EU, until June 15, 2015.15/4/2015
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 15 April 2015
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April 15th) sold 629 store cattle and 113 breeding heifers & 26 OTM cattle. Store bullocks (331) averaged 241.2p and sold to 295.8p per kg for a pen of 240kg Romagnola crosses from Calrossie Mains, Nigg, and £1,250 gross for a 560kg Charolais cross from 2 Lochend, Barrock.15/4/2015
MSP welcomes health board's community storm action
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP and Shadow Minister for Health Inequalities, Rhoda Grant, has welcomed proactive action being taken by NHS Highland to mitigate disruption during power failures. After meeting with engineers who braved appalling weather conditions to reconnect homes and properties during the atrocious storms experienced in January, the MSP wrote to all health boards in the Highlands and Islands region advising them of Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution's ‘Priority Services Register’, encouraging the health boards to promote the register amongst vulnerable people in their area.15/4/2015
North MSP cautions against blanket 20mph zones
Highlands & Islands MSP and road safety campaigner, David Stewart, has entered the debate about the drive for more and more 20mph zones across Scotland. Speaking today he said " When all said and done it is the responsibility of drivers to pay attention, take due care over other road users and adjust speed to the conditions prevailing at the time whilst driving, that really matters.14/4/2015
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 14 April 2015
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April, 14th) sold 57 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (35) averaged 200.8p (-4.9p) and sold to 213p per kg and £1,362.20 gross.13/4/2015
2015 Pensions changes divorce impact - Turcan Connell
David Clarke interviews Partner Gillian Crandles and Financial Planner, George Martineau at Turcan Connell, Princes Exchange, 1 Earl Grey Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9EE. Gillian and George look at the 2015 pensions changes and the positive effect this may have on divorce and other family law related situations.
13/4/2015
UK Pension reform and its impact on the property market
UK Pension reform and its impact on the property market. There are around 18.4 million people currently aged 55+ and from 6th April, those with ‘defined contribution' schemes will be given unprecedented access to an estimated £67.5 billion (1) of pension contributions as part of one of the biggest shake-ups in the UK's pension system.
13/4/2015
Fraudsters Target Over 65s
Over Half of People Aged 65 + Have Been Targeted by Fraudsters, as Alarming New Figures by Age UK Show the Extent of Scamming. A new Age UK survey has found that 53 per cent of older people (aged 65+) believe they've been targeted by fraudsters, and that while many do not respond, of those who do 70 per cent of people of all age groups said that they had personally lost money.13/4/2015
Scotland's Horse Industry Needs Greater Coordination and Support
The equine industry in Scotland is growing, and according to Horse Scotland, it contributes £228 million to the Scottish economy per year (excluding racing); however there is a need for greater regulation and coordination in order to reduce risks which include horse health and welfare. Developing an accurate database of the number and location of horses in Scotland would allow for better monitoring of disease, traceability of horse movement, more effective breeding programmes and would address the welfare concerns associated with increased horse numbers.10/4/2015
First Class Flats At Affordable Rents In Wick
AN excellent range of one-bedroom and studio flats with affordable rents are available now at Caberfeidh Court in Wick. Cairn Housing Association has 36 high quality properties that are available exclusively to people over 50 years of age.
10/4/2015
Corporate Volunteering Benefits Businesses, Employees and the Wider Community, Says CIPD
Responding to today's announcement by the Prime Minister*, the CIPD, the professional body for HR, welcomes a focus on the corporate volunteering agenda. A new report from the CIPD, 'From Big Society to the big organisation: the role of organisations in supporting employee volunteering', includes survey data that reveals that 39% of large organisations already offer paid time for their employees to take part in volunteering opportunities, with an additional 23% offering unpaid time.10/4/2015
MSP highlights case of beat officers being removed
Highlands & Islands MSP, David Stewart has highlighted that he has now evidence that the cull of Police Support Staff has had a direct impact on the role of the front line Police Officer. Since the inception of Police Scotland on 1 April 2013, Police Scotland was tasked with delivering £64 million of efficiency savings in the first year of operation.10/4/2015
