News Archive
11/3/2011
New Children's Home Earmarked For Wick
The Highland Council's Housing and Social Work Committee has agreed in principle to build a new five-bed children's residential home in Wick at an estimated cost of £1.2 million. Investigations are under way to identify a suitable site for the home, close to school and amenites, and secure the necessary permissions, subject to further decisions by the Council over funding.11/3/2011
Lessons Learned From CHaP Project
The Highland Council has learned lessons from the Caithness Heat and Power Project in Wick, and introduced measures to ensure the corporate failings are not repeated in any future project. A total of 39 actions have been put in place in a response to an internal audit of the Wick-based enterprise and these actions have been acknowledged by external audit and the Accounts Commission.11/3/2011
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 8 March 2011
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 8th) sold 60 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (23) averaged 170.2p (+3.0p) and sold to 184p per kg and £1,145.70 gross.11/3/2011
Dingwall & Highland Marts - Sale 9th March 2011
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (March, 9th) sold 1,830 sheep of all classes. Lambs (701) averaged £58.96 and sold to £89 gross for Texel crosses from Viewhill Croft, Dingwall.10/3/2011
Big Changes For Culture and Leisure To Save A Million
Highland Council to create arms length organisation for Community Learning and Leisure Members of The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport (ECS) Committee have agreed to a major transfer of the management and delivery of Community Learning and Leisure Services to an arms length organisation (ALO). The transfer which will take place in the financial year 2011/12 will save the Council £1 million per year through an ALO.10/3/2011
Council Votes No Change For Voluntary Sector
Business as usual for voluntary sector with The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport Service Service delivery contracts between the voluntary sector and the Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport Service will remain under the management of the Council when its Community Learning and Leisure (CLL) Service transfer to an arms length organisation (ALO). Members of the Council's ECS Committee have agreed to transfer its CLL Services to an ALO in the financial year 2011/12.8/3/2011
Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Week Comm 28 Feb
Programme activities: Energy: I continue to discuss ways in which the area's assets can be maximised in relation to the marine energy sector. This week discussions have taken place with Highland Council and HIE staff regarding how we might approach Government to make the case for some form of enterprise zone status for the area, and also to take forward proposals to combine existing financial resources within CNSRP partners to provide an even more attractive package for potential investors.8/3/2011
HIE investment triggers £6 million John O'Groats transformation 
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is investing £1.8 million to support the revitalisation of one of Scotland's most famous visitor locations, John O'Groats. Having spearheaded the creation of an ambitious masterplan for the area, HIE is supporting two leading UK tourism partners, Heritage GB and Natural Retreats, to deliver a six million pound project.
8/3/2011
Global Business Expands Caithness Operation
CSC, a global business providing technology-enabled solutions and services, is working with HIE to expand its Caithness workforce over the next two years. CSC's Caithness operation previously worked exclusively within the fence at Dounreay.8/3/2011
Partnership Approach To Exporting
Scottish business organisations launch partnership approach to exporting. A group of leading Scottish business organisations have joined forces to help Scottish companies trade internationally.6/3/2011
Gibson Welcomes Battery Acquisition
Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Rob Gibson has warmly welcomed news that an energy giant has acquired Thurso based ABSL Solutions. Commenting on the news that Thurso based battery ABSL Solutions has been bought by the worlds largest industrial battery manufacturer EnerSys, Mr Gibson said...6/3/2011
Community Benefit Policy Agreed
The Highland Council has agreed changes to the way communities will benefit from renewable energy developments. For onshore developments, the Council is adopting a three-tier approach to community benefit.6/3/2011
Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd - Sale 2 March 2011
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 2nd) sold 506 store cattle, 2 adult head of breeding cattle and 44 OTM cattle. Bullocks (300) averaged 181.3p and sold to 227.3p per kg for a pen of 220kg Limousin crosses from Tillieglens, Forres, and £1,060 gross for a pen of 672kg Limousin crosses from Balliefurth, Grantown on Spey.6/3/2011
New Community Council scheme
A new scheme governing the running of Community Councils in the Highlands takes effect from 1 April 2011. It brings together eight separate schemes into one Highland-wide scheme.4/3/2011
Special Council Meeting Called To Consider CHaP Findings
A special meeting of The Highland Council is being held on Thursday 10 March 2011 at the Council Chamber, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX to consider the findings of the Accounts Commission in respect of the Caithness Heat and Power project in Wick. The meeting is public and will start at 2 pm or following a meeting of the Education Culture and Sport Committee, whichever is the later.3/3/2011
Extension of Council Meetings Webcasting
The Highland Council's pilot webcasting scheme is to be extended so that council and strategic committee meetings held at Council headquarters in Inverness can be viewed by the public from their computers. At present, the Council webcasts meetings held in the Council Chamber of the Planning Environmental and Development Committee as well as the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Applications Committee and the Highland Licensing Committee.3/3/2011
Wick By-Election Date Confirmed
A by-election will be held in The Highland Council's Ward 3 - Wick - on Thursday 7 April to choose a successor to Councillor Katrina MacNab (Independent), who resigns from the Council with effect from Friday (4 March). Nomination papers will be available from 10 am on Monday 7 March.3/3/2011
Council Progress Review Of Primary School Classroom Support
The Highland Council has established a nine-member working group to review classroom support in primary schools. It has also set up a professional task group to provide the working group with advice in reaching its recommendations by the end of June, this year, with a view to implementation in August.2/3/2011
Caithness Heat & Power - Accounts Commission Report
Highland Council failed to establish effective governance arrangements for innovative heat and power project The Accounts Commission has considered a report on The Highland Council's Caithness Heat and Power (CHaP) project, which was run by an arms-length community enterprise. In its findings the Commission says the lack of appropriate risk management and effective governance arrangements for the project was a corporate failure by the council.2/3/2011
