News Archive
11/11/2010
hub North Board Selects Preferred Bidder
The North Territory hub Programme Board has announced that Alba Community Partnerships (comprising of Cyril Sweett Investments Ltd and Miller Corporate Holdings, part of The Miller Group) has been selected as the preferred bidder for the hub North Territory. hub North was the second hub territory to move into procurement and expects to deliver projects with an estimated value of £435 million over the next 10 years.11/11/2010
New Rent Structure Agreed By Council
A fairer system of charging Council house rent has been agreed by The Highland Council's Housing and Social Work Committee following consultation with tenants and an examination of rent structures of other local councils and recognised rent systems. Consultation indicated that the size and the type of the property were important to tenants in setting rent charges as was the condition and energy efficiency of a property.11/11/2010
Rok Administration - Council Contracts
Members of The Highland Council's Housing and Social Work Committee have expressed their disappointment and concern that Rok plc has gone into Administration. Rok have a number of Council contracts and also provide a sub-contracting service on other projects.11/11/2010
Tenants Offered Incentive To Downsize
Highland council house tenants , who have spare accommodation, are to be offered an incentive to move to a smaller council home that better meets their needs. The Highland Council's Housing and Social work Committee agreed on Wednesday 10th November 2010, a downsizing policy to encourage and support tenants of Highland Housing Register landlords to transfer to a smaller home.11/11/2010
New Additional Support Rights For Children
The rights of children with additional education support needs will be strengthened on Sunday (November 14) when the Education (Additional Support for Learning)(Scotland) Act 2009 comes into force. It will ensure that children and young people with additional support needs and their parents can make out of the area placing requests for specific schools and receive mediation and dispute resolution help following such requests.11/11/2010
Wick local takes part in architectural challenge
First year students at Aberdeen's Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment recently enjoyed a week of activities aimed at helping them adjust to University life. Among them was Wick local, Peter Adamson, who began the BSc Architectural Technology degree programme in September this year.
11/11/2010
Long Leases (Scotland) Bill Introduced
Bill seeks to reform centuries-old property law Plans to reform centuries old property law by converting long lease properties into ownership got underway today as Community Safety Minister Fergus Ewing introduced a Bill into the Scottish Parliament. The proposed changes, introduced through the Long Leases (Scotland) Bill, could affect 9,000 long leases in certain parts of Scotland.10/11/2010
Caithness Ward Forums Discuss Highland Development Plan
Highland Wide Local Development Plan to be discussed at joint Caithness Wards Forum The Highland Council's, Highland Wide Local Development Plan is the main topic to be discussed at a joint Caithness Wards Forum being held on Monday 15 November at 7.30 pm in the Mackays Hotel, Wick. The Highland Wide Local Development Plan, represents the Council's land use vision, strategy and principal, general policies for the whole Highland Council area except that part within the Cairngorms National Park Authority boundary.8/11/2010
HIE Comment in response to Rok Announcement
Highlands and Islands Enterprise has been in contact with Rok's administrators, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC). We are seeking an early meeting with PwC to discuss both the future of the business as a whole and how we progress specific HIE projects currently being delivered by Rok.8/11/2010
Council calls on landowners to check wind damaged trees
Following a night of severely windy weather The Highland Council is encouraging landowners to check trees and vegetation near to public roads which have been damaged by the gales. Landowners are being asked to check for damage to their trees and to remove debris from roads or footways without undue delay.7/11/2010
French Nuclear Experts At Dounreay
Four experts from the Autorité de Sureté Nucleaire, the French nuclear safety inspectorate, spent a day at Dounreay discussing the decommissioning of alkali metal cooled fast reactors. The visit was hosted by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate as part of international collaboration over nuclear health and safety matters.7/11/2010
DOUNREAY SITE NEWSPAPER FOR NOVEMBER ONLINE
The November issue of the site newspaper, Dounreay News, has now been published and is also available online. www.dounreay.com/news/2010-11-03/dounreay-site-newspaper-for-november-online .7/11/2010
Dounreay Boss Welcomed Funding Announcement
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd recently welcomed an announcement about how much public money will be available to continue nuclear clean-up in the UK. DSRL manages the closure of the site on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which today confirmed that its total expenditure, including income generated, would be maintained at current levels of around £3bn a year.7/11/2010
Good response to road safety initiative in Caithness and East Ross
NORTHERN Constabulary Police have reported a highly successful road safety operation across the Highland mainland. The initiative, code-named Operation Sable, was timed to run immediately prior to the ACPOS "Get ready for winter" weekend initiative, which was run throughout Scotland.4/11/2010
Support For Agriculture
The final report of the Pack Inquiry into Future Support for Agriculture in Scotland was published today. The Inquiry was commissioned by Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead in June 2009 to examine agricultural subsidy and consider how best future support should be tailored to deliver a sustainable sector.4/11/2010
RAF Lossiemouth Rally
First Minister Alex Salmond will be joined by the three leaders of Scotland's other main political parties in a march and the rally calling for the RAF base at Lossiemouth to be retained in the UK government's ongoing strategic defence review. Sunday's event will begin at Muirton Road - only yards from the main entrance to the RAF base - and end with a rally at Grant Park, the home of Lossiemouth FC.4/11/2010
Preventing Wildlife Crime
Proposals to tackle wildlife crime by making employers responsible for their employees' illegal poisonings have been outlined. Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham announced the Scottish Government's intention to bring forward a Stage 2 amendment to the Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill, when giving evidence to the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee earlier today (November 3).4/11/2010
Protection For Vulnerable Groups
The introduction of a new scheme to improve the protection of vulnerable groups has been postponed until February to ensure the system which supports it is as robust as it can be before it goes live. Children's Minister, Adam Ingram, announced the postponement today following advice from the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme programme board.4/11/2010
Rise In Consumer Confidence
The Scottish Retail Sector continued to grow into the third quarter of 2010 - and outperformed the GB sector over the year - according to provisional estimates released today by Scotland's Chief Statistician. Third quarter figures published today show: The volume of retail sales in Scotland grew 0.6 per cent during quarter three compared with the previous quarter, and by 2.9 per cent over the year.4/11/2010
