News Archive
New legislation from the UK government means that, from 1 April, a deduction will be imposed on housing benefit claimants in council or housing association homes with a spare room or rooms in their homes. The new rule is estimated to affect more than 2,200 council house tenants in Highland.
21/3/2013
Official statistics published today by ONS show that unemployment in Scotland fell by 4,000 over the three months to January 2013. Youth unemployment experienced the biggest fall in 20 years.
21/3/2013
Landlords should consider all possible options and use all reasonable means to prevent evictions of housing tenants struggling to pay rent due to the bedroom tax, Housing Minister Margaret Burgess said today. The Scottish Government has called for the UK Government�s under occupancy measures, that will cut housing benefit for those deemed to have a spare room, to be scrapped.
The Highland Council has raised no objections to a consultation from the Scottish Government (Marine Scotland) regarding an application by Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd for the construction and operation of 3 offshore wind farms and associated electricity transmission works in the Outer Moray Firth. The application has been submitted under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 so although The Highland Council is not the determining authority, it is an important consultee so today (Tuesday 19 March) Members sitting on the North Planning Applications Committee considered the proposals.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 19th) sold 86 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (58) averaged 216.1p (-2.1p) and sold to 233p per kg and �1,597.50 gross.
New offices for Hugh Simpson contractors well known locally for cranes and oil have new offices almost ready at Wick harbour. The ofices are on the site of the former Wick Power station that was finally demolished in October 2008..
11 April 2013 Highlands and Islands Enterprise, in partnership with Scottish Development International, is offering an Intermediate Preparing to Export course for companies that are already exporting to 2/3 markets and would like to further develop their export capabilities. � Course kick-off: 2-day residential on 11th & 12th April 2013 (1 nights accommodation and dinner will be provided) � Course continues on: 4 additional sessions held over 6-8 weeks: 25th April, 9th May, 23rd May and 6th June 2013 Location: The Norseman Hotel, Wick This programme is fully funded by Smart Exporter, an ambitious new international trade skills programme, and is targeted at Scottish companies that are already exporting and wish to develop their export capabilities to grow their business.
Winter break over! The Tea Cosy / Simply Unique will be open from Easter onwards, a warm welcome waits. New exciting menu and some old favourites.
After the first round of the Scottish EDGE competition, where over �500,000 was given to help 17 of Scotland�s brightest entrepreneurs, they are ready to start all over again! This next round will award in the region of �750,000 to young Scottish businesses. The closing date for round two applications is 5pm Tuesday 16 April 2013.
20 March 2013 The Government Support for Business R&D and Innovation event is a free workshop to highlight the wide range of Government support available to help small and medium sized enterprises invest in R&D and innovation and to grow their businesses. Each session will be led by a representative from the relevant delivery body, including HMRC, the Technology Strategy Board, the UK Intellectual Property Office, the Design Council and HIE.
16/3/2013
Scotland�s Chief Statistician today published Results from the 2012 December Agricultural Survey, covering winter sown crops, hay and silage production, livestock and machinery. This Statistical Publication provides commentary and graphics on the latest data and trends over the past ten years.
16/3/2013
Provisional figures for births, deaths, adoptions, marriages and civil partnerships registered during 2012 are published today by the National Records of Scotland. The statistics show that marriages in Scotland have risen for the third consecutive year and are now at their highest figure since 2005.
16/3/2013
Payments from the Less Favoured Area Support Scheme will start to arrive in bank accounts from Friday, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead confirmed earlier this week. The Scottish Government has now authorised payment of 10,190 claims to farmers and crofters working in some of the most challenging conditions in Europe, worth �56 million � around 86 per cent of the total �65.5 funding for the scheme.
Memorandum of Understanding seeks to strengthen economy & bring new jobs in the Cromarty Firth. The Highland Council and the Cromarty Firth Port Authority are to sign a partnership agreement to promote co-operation and joint working, with the aim of creating good quality employment opportunities and facilitating the development of new and existing port facilities at Invergordon and in the Cromarty Firth.
Week commencing 11th March 2013 Energy: Applications from Meygen Ltd and Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd will go before next Tuesday�s meeting of the Highland Council�s North Planning Applications Committee. You can view the applications at http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/committees/npac-comms/2013-03-19-npac-ag.htm Business Services: Good news this week that recent investment by HIE in local company Escape Technologies has helped create 4 new jobs, bringing the company�s staffing complement to 9 as it moves into new premises in Thurso town centre.
Inspired by the success of the London 2012 Olympics� Gamesmakers, Mackays Hotel in Wick has become the latest organisation in the UK to gain national recognition for its dedication to excellent customer service, joining an elite segment of hospitality businesses that have achieved the status. The family run hotel received news this week that it is the first hotel in Caithness & Sutherland to be awarded WorldHost Recognised Business status, a training programme that was used to train the tens of thousands of staff and volunteers for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and nearly one million people worldwide, in exceptional customer service.
There is a regular flow of abnormal loads, northwards over the A9 Kessock Bridge, which in the main includes outsized assembly parts for a range of important development initiatives within the Highland area. It is important for the progress of the Highland economy that such loads are progressed without unnecessary delay.
14/3/2013
www.sruc.ac.uk/news Plant pathologists from Scotland�s Rural College (SRUC) are warning Scottish farmers that there is an almost unprecedented disease risk to spring barley this year after the heavy rains last season. After finding that in some regions nearly 50% of the seeds are infected with at least one strain of fungal disease they are stressing that farmers in all regions should get their seeds tested and treated to minimise the risk.
In recognising that tourism is the Highland�s biggest industry, members of the Council�s Planning Environment and Development Committee today agreed funding to VisitScotland of up to �270k in 2013/14. They also agreed that a further �80,000 be used to both deliver services directly by the Council�s tourism team and to provide discretionary funding to business or community groups undertaking tourism projects.
Highland Councillors have agreed a further enhancement of the model for the integration of health and care services across the authority. This involves the organisation of Allied Health Professional Services and Community Learning Disability Nurses, as well as some changes to the performance frameworks for both adult and children�s services.