News Archive
3/2/2012
Council Tax Frozen For Fifth Year
The Highland Council is being recommended to freeze the Council Tax for a fifth successive year and confirm a budget of £602 million for 2012-13 when it meets on Thursday 9 February 2012. Through its three-year budget setting process, the Council has already identified savings of £18.6 million for 2012-13.3/2/2012
Scotland First To Map Wild Land
In a first for the UK, a new map detailing Scotland's wild areas is being published today by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Some of the country's wildest landscapes are already identified and protected if they fall within national parks or national scenic areas.2/2/2012
Classroom Support In Highland Gets Major Cash Boost
The Highland Council will be asked next week at its budget setting meeting to inject an additional £650,000 into classroom support in primary schools. The recommendation to the full council on Thursday 9 February comes from a Cross-Party Working Group, which has been reviewing the role of classroom assistants in primary schools over the past year.1/2/2012
Dingwall & Highland Marts - Sale 1 February 2011
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (February, 1st) sold 1,879 sheep of all classes. Lambs (1,041) averaged £65.18 and sold to £97 gross for Beltex crosses from Caberfeidh, Glenurquhart.1/2/2012
Scottish kids benefit from Childsmile
Children across Scotland are now benefitting from a programme designed to improve their oral health. The £15m Childsmile nursery, school and practice programmes have now been rolled out across the country, and are being delivered in every health board in Scotland.1/2/2012
'Bedroom tax' plans will punish the poor
The UK Government's Welfare Reform plans will rob Scotland of over £54 million a year, new analysis has confirmed, Housing Minister Keith Brown claimed today. The Westminster Bill will reduce the amount of housing benefit support that can be given to tenants in the social rented sector by introducing new size criteria for working-age Housing Benefit claimants, who have extra bedrooms.1/2/2012
Seal licensing system working well
Following the introduction of new measures in 2011 to protect seals, including strict licensing conditions for seal shootings, indications are that the first year has worked well. In the first three quarters of 2011, 362 seals were shot - 27 per cent of the permitted maximum under licence - considerably lower than estimates by environmental groups of over 3,000 seals each year prior to the new system.1/2/2012
Farm Income Increases
Income from farming in Scotland in 2011 has risen by £23 million compared with 2010, according to the latest statistics. Scotland's Chief Statistician has today published Scottish Farm Income Estimates 2011 which gives a national estimate of total income across agricultural holdings, alongside a breakdown of farm outputs, costs and subsidies.1/2/2012
Focus on youth employment
Youth employment has topped the agenda at Scotland's ninth National Economic Forum, held today at Edinburgh's Corn Exchange. As part of the focus on getting more of Scotland's young people into work, First Minister Alex Salmond and Youth Employment Minister Angela Constance have met with a number of young people currently working in training positions across central Scotland.1/2/2012
Minimum pricing of alcohol
Minimum pricing for alcohol, together with the existing ban on irresponsible promotions could prevents thousands of deaths, illnesses and crimes and save Scotland millions of pounds. These are the findings of a revised report carried out by researchers at the University of Sheffield which was published this morning.31/1/2012
Dunnet Beach Clean
The north end of Dunnet Beach in Caithness now looks much tidier following a recent public beach clean (on Sunday 29 January 2012) organised by The Highland Council Countryside Rangers. In total throughout the day about fifty people volunteered their time to help pick the litter from the beach which had gathered in great quantities during the winter storms.
31/1/2012
Find Out If Your Business Can Supply Highland Council
Help is at hand for Caithness businesses to supply The Highland Council. A free event aimed at helping businesses to supply The Highland Council will take place on Thursday 9 February 2012 in Thurso.27/1/2012
Crofting Commission Election Attracts 29 Candidates
There will be a contest in five of the six constituencies within the Crofting Commission electoral area. A total of 28 candidates will contest the five constituencies of: · Shetland; · East Highlands (East Sutherland, Easter Ross, East Inverness and Moray); · Western Isles; · West Highlands (West Sutherland, Wester Ross, Skye and Lochalsh); and · South West Highlands (Lochaber, Argyll and Bute, Arran and Cumbrae, Small Isles).26/1/2012
Caithness Voluntary Group Food Hygiene Training
Introduction to Food Hygiene Training 10.00-1.30pm, Wednesday February 22nd, at Telford House, Williamson Street, Wick. Covering food law and HACCP, food hygiene management systems, and myths surrounding food preparation.25/1/2012
Household Water Charges Frozen
Infrastructure and Capital Investment Secretary Alex Neil today welcomed news that Scottish Water will freeze household water charges for 2012-13. In April 2012 household water charges will remain frozen, which means water charges have remained at the same level for four years.24/1/2012
Council select contractor for Stromeferry works
The Highland Council has selected TRAC Engineering Ltd to carry out stabilisation works on the A 890 Stromeferry Bypass which takes traffic between Wester Ross and Lochalsh/Skye and has been closed due to the danger of rockfall since 22 December, last year. Following a rockfall, emergency works were undertaken which did not leave a stable rock slope but which did protect the rail line.23/1/2012
Half million pound boost for Wick's Pulteneytown Area
With the Wick, Pulteneytown Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) drawing to an end, The Highland Council's Planning , Environment and Development Committee has awarded two grants and agreed to submit a third to Historic Scotland for approval, worth a total of £486,585. The Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS), funded by Historic Scotland and the Highland Council, was launched in 2007 to regenerate the Pulteneytown Conservation Area in Wick through the reuse and repair of its historic buildings.23/1/2012
Woodland On Skye Begins Harvesting
Harvesting starts as part of Storr native woodland restoration. Tree felling and harvesting has begun at Storr Woodland, north of Portree on the island of Skye.23/1/2012
Sandown Design Charrette - 30 January - 2 February 2012
The Highland Council are pleased to announce further details of a design charrette to be held for the Sandown site in Nairn from Monday 30 January to Thursday 2 February 2012. The charrette, which will be facilitated by architects - Ironside Farrar - will take the form of an interactive design workshop which will allow the community, local authority and a wide range of stakeholders to come together to discuss and agree design ideas which will be translated into drawings to develop a masterplan for the site.23/1/2012
