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Local Authority News


28/2/2012
Countryside Rangers Launch Their 2012 GuideThumbnail for article : Countryside Rangers Launch Their 2012 Guide
The Highland Council's Countryside Rangers, in partnership with the Rangers from Moray Council, have launched their 2012 brochure featuring over 400 guided walks and events to encourage everyone to get out and explore the great outdoors and find out more about the animals that share it with us.   Some highlights in the programme of walks and events, that covers the whole of the Highlands and Moray, include Gruffalo children's activity days, long distance walks, mountain conservation days, whale and dolphin spotting, wild food foraging and gentle wildlife walks.  
27/2/2012
Official Opening of Acharacle Primary SchoolThumbnail for article : Official Opening of Acharacle Primary School
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell MSP will officially open Acharacle Primary School on Friday (2 March 2012) during a visit to Lochaber which also includes a guided tour around Ardnamurchan High School,now in its 10th year.   Arriving at Acharacle on Friday afternoon he will be joined by Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Michael Foxley and the Education, Culture and Sport Chairman, Councillor Bill Fernie to celebrate the success of the school which opened its doors to pupils in May 2009.  
27/2/2012
Road Closure In Inverness For Major Flood Works
Road closures necessary to accommodate flood channel work.   A public meeting is being held between 6pm - 7.30pm on Thursday (1 March) at Fairways Golf Club, Inverness, when local residents will be advised of traffic management issues and site progress on Phase 4 of the South West Inverness Flood Relief Channel, which, when completed, will reduce the possibility of flooding in that part of the city.  
25/2/2012
Postal votes sent out for Crofting Commission elections
Postal ballot papers were issued on Friday, 24 February 2012 to the 10,877 voters eligible to take part in the forthcoming Crofting Commission elections to elect five new board members representing Shetland, East Highlands, Western Isles, West Highlands & South West, and Highlands.   A total of 28 candidates are vying for the five places on the Board.  
25/2/2012
Communities and Benefits From Renewable Energy Developments
The Highland Council has taken an important step towards securing the highest level of benefit possible for local communities across the Highlands from renewable energy developments by agreeing a policy on how future funds are allocated.   Council Leader Michael Foxley and Councillor Isobel McCallum, Chairman of The Highland Council's Rural Affairs and Climate Change Strategy Group, highlighted the Council's commitment to community benefit at a conference in Inverness on Friday 24th February 2012 organised by the Council.  
21/2/2012
Green Light For Two New Wick Primary Schools
The Highland Council has been given the go ahead to proceed with plans to replace the four primary schools in Wick with two new purpose built schools serving the North and South of the town.   Scottish Education Cabinet Secretary, Michael Russell, who called in the Council's proposals, has confirmed he is content for the Council to amalgamate Hillhead and North Primary Schools in a new school building on land available within North Primary School and to join the South and Pulteneytown Academy Primary Schools in a new school to be built on the site of the existing High School playing field site and the site of Pultneytown Academy PS.  
20/2/2012
Essential Road Works To Upgrade Kessock BridgeThumbnail for article : Essential Road Works To Upgrade Kessock Bridge
An estimated £18 million programme of essential works is to be started next year on the Kessock Bridge to bring the key route into Inverness and the North of Scotland up to modern standards and ensure public safety.   The road surface on the bridge, which carries 30,000 vehicles every day, has reached the end of its working life and the need for ad-hoc repairs has become increasingly disruptive to traffic.  
16/2/2012
Planning For Integration - Big Changes For Health and Care ServicesThumbnail for article : Planning For Integration - Big Changes For Health and Care Services
Caithness Meeting 7.00 - 9.00pm 23rd February 2011 Mackays Hotel, Wick For other meetings see below.   On 16 December 2010, the Board of NHS Highland and Members of The Highland Council agreed in principle to commit to planning for the integration of health, education and social care services.  
15/2/2012
"Chew it, wrap it, bin it"
"Chew it, wrap it, bin it" message promoted to Highland pupils Next week pupils in ten Highland schools will take part in a series of drama workshops to highlight issues surrounding litter, especially disposal of discarded chewing gum.   The Bin It! workshops, sponsored by Wrigley, aims to encourage students aged 11-13 to consider the personal, social and environment costs of gum litter and to encourage behavioural change.  
14/2/2012
Target date for partial re-opening of Stromeferry By-pass delayed
The target date for the partial re-opening of the A 890 Stromeferry By-pass between Lochcarron and Kyle/Plockton has had to be delayed until Monday 27 February as the result of more extensive works being identified by the specialist contractors employed by The Highland Council to make safe the rockface and reopen the road.   At a public meeting at Achmore, near Plockton, last night, TRAC Engineering Ltd set out the challenges they are facing as they work round the clock to stabilise the rockface, clear rock, soil and vegetation from the hillside and install safety netting at a point 100 yards west of the Avalanche Shelter.  
14/2/2012
Public To Have Say On Service Integration
People in Caithness are invited to find out more about, and have an opportunity to have their say on the development of Planning for Integration of health, education and social care services provided by NHS Highland and The Highland Council.   At a public meeting in, Wick (Mackays Hotel) on 23 February from 7pm - 9pm, Jan Baird, Planning for Integration, Transitions Director will explain how, from 1 April 2012, staff are being brought together into integrated teams to work with children and families and with people who use community care services.  
13/2/2012
Council's Cleaning Team Receive National Excellence AwardThumbnail for article : Council's Cleaning Team Receive National Excellence Award
The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport Cleaning Service have received a Performance Network Award for the Most Improved Performer in the Association of Public Services 2011 Excellence Awards.   The ECS cleaning service, which employs 850 people, provides a daily building cleaning service to 367 of the Council's establishments including nurseries, schools, offices, libraries, community centres and museums.  
10/2/2012
Council Appoints Two Key Directors To Lead Integration Project
The Highland Council has confirmed the appointment of the two directors who will lead the integration of services for children across the authority from April.   Bill Alexander, Director of Social Work, has been appointed as the Director of Health and Social Care and Hugh Fraser, Director of Education Culture and Sport, has been appointed to a position with the same title with extended responsibilities.  
9/2/2012
Council Tax Freeze Agreed For Fifth Year
At a special meeting today (Thursday 9th February 2012), The Highland Council agreed to freeze the Council Tax for a fifth successive year and has confirmed a revenue budget of £602 million for 2012-13.   The tax for 2012-13 is: Band A: £775.33; Band B: £904.56; C: £1,033.78; Band D: £1,163; Band E: £1,421.44; Band F: £1,679.89; Band G: £1,938.33; Band H: £2,326.  
6/2/2012
Join The Conversation On Planning For Integration
People in the Highlands are invited to find out more about, and have an opportunity to have their say on the development of Planning for Integration of health, education and social care services in the area provided by NHS Highland and The Highland Council.   At eight public meetings in February and March, Jan Baird, Planning for Integration, Transitions Director will explain how, from 1 April 2012, staff are being brought together into integrated teams to work with children and families and with people who use community care services.  
3/2/2012
Council Injects Extra £2 million Into Road Maintenance
The Highland Council will be asked to agree an additional £2m for road repairs when it meets next Thursday (9 February 2012).   Councillor John Laing, the Chair of TECS Services, said that the extra funding, recommended by the Administration for 2012-13, would be used to address the additional damage to the road network following successive winters when we experienced prolonged periods of very low temperatures, which resulted in damage to roads throughout Scotland.  
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.  
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.  
31/1/2012
Dunnet Beach CleanThumbnail for article : 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.