Local Authority News
1/2/2011
Caithness Employers Thanked For Supporting Pupils
Caithness businesses are being invited to attend an award ceremony to receive thanks from The Highland Council for the ongoing and valuable contributions they make in supporting pupils through skills for work; work experience; and enterprise projects. An invitation from The Highland Council's, Education, Culture and Sport Service has gone out to local businesses to attend the ceremony at Park Hotel, Oldfield, Thurso on Thursday 10 February at 6:45pm.1/2/2011
Scams Alert Campaign by Trading Standards
Scams Alert Campaign Launched by Highland Council Trading Standards Highland Council Trading Standards in partnership with The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) annual Scams Awareness Month is reminding consumers to be ever vigilant against possible scams. The nationwide 'Scamnesty' campaign runs from 1st to 28th February 2011 and aims to warn consumers not to be fooled by mass marketed scam mailings that bombard UK consumers every year.1/2/2011
Tackling Poverty and Unemployment In The Highlands
The Highland Council has agreed a fresh approach to tackling poverty and unemployment in the Highlands. Organisations are being invited to develop innovative approaches to assisting people with barriers to employment into training, work experience and jobs.28/1/2011
Time To Enrol Children For School
Parents and guardians of children are being informed by The Highland Council that its time for enrolment into pre-school and primary school in the Highlands. The next school session starts on 16 August 2011.27/1/2011
Tall Ships Opportunity For Young People In Highland
Tall Ships opportunity http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/D17A9CA4-C88D-4A22-89DE- (Pdf) Tall Ships application form http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/CAD08E77-536D-43A5-862C- (Pdf) In partnership with Ocean Young Trust, Young Scot and COSLA, The Highland Council is offering 2 young people the opportunity to participate in the Tall Ships Races 2011. The opportunity includes travel to and from the vessel and all costs incurred while taking part in the project.25/1/2011
Highland Emergency Restrictions On Use Of Road Salt Removed
A 2,000 Tonne load of salt delivered to Inverness yesterday (24 January 2011) has boosted total stock on salt for Highland Council roads to 14,800 Tonnes. With a further 8,300 Tonnes due later in the week, stocks are now sustainably above the 12,800 Tonne threshold at which Councillors decided last week that restrictions should be lifted.25/1/2011
Highland Libraries Award For Quality Service Provision
The Highland Council's Library Service has received acknowledgement for their commitment to providing high quality services at the inaugural Scottish Library Excellence Awards. With public libraries in Scotland attracting over 30 million visitors per year and academic libraries attracting 12.8 million, the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) acknowledged the achievements of Highland libraries.25/1/2011
Council Welcomes Progress At Nigg
The Highland Council has welcomed the progress announced today (Tuesday 25 January 2011) in reactivating the former Nigg oil fabrication yard in East Ross. Global Energy has confirmed it has been given preferred bidder status and is in the process of purchasing part of the site owned by US company, KBR, and securing a long term lease of the section owned by the Wakelyn Trust, with a view to taking over the site in April.25/1/2011
Young People Wanted
Young people from across the Highlands still have time to stand as candidates in the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) elections which take place across Scotland in March. SYP is the national organisation which provides young people aged 14-25 a platform to represent young people across Highland and Scotland and is an opportunity to influence politicians and formal decision makers.24/1/2011
Council Focuses On Trees And Woodlands
Planning consultations seek views on sustainable design and impact of development on trees and woodland. An eight-week public consultation gets under way today Monday (24 January 2011) on two new planning documents produced by The Highland Council's Planning Environment and Development Service, which provide guidance on the design of buildings as well the impact of developments on trees and woodland.24/1/2011
New Extended Way Of Paying Council Bills
Highland householders are being advised by The Highland Council of new and extended ways of paying their Council Tax, rent and other Council bills. The new payment system takes effect from 1 April - the start of the new financial year.21/1/2011
Emergency Measures Remain In Place To Conserve Winter Salt Supplies
Members of The Highland Council's Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee have agreed that emergency measures to conserve road salt should remain in place until the stock returns to a sustainable level of 12,800 tonnes, which provides eight days of supply at heavy usage. The latest stock level stands at 12,300 tonnes and it is hoped that the restrictions can be lifted by the end of next week, if further scheduled salt supplies arrive.20/1/2011
Councillors Agree Action Plan For Offshore Renewable Energy
Members of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee have agreed a 10 point action plan for offshore renewable energy development which will assist The Highland Council to deliver set objectives for the economy, communities and the environment. The Action Plan, which received cross party support, covers issues surrounding infrastructure, the supply chain, community benefit and workforce and skills.18/1/2011
Council Moving Towards Arms Length Organisation For Culture and Leisure
Council updates members on development of a business case for arms length organisation Members of The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport Committee have welcomed the confirmation of a portfolio of services, facilities, staff and budgets to be included within the development of the business case that will explore establishing an arms length organisation (ALO) to manage and deliver the Council's Community Learning and Leisure Services (CLL). Included within the portfolio being considered for the business case are: some 300 buildings and property; around 460 staff; and services covering adult and youth work, culture, facilities, libraries, sport, and health and well being partnership working.14/1/2011
Caithness Confirmed For School Estate Review
The Highland Council's Education Culture and Sport Committee has agreed that the initial phase of the strategic review of the entire Council school estate will examine the Associated School Groupings for Wick High School and Thurso High School. A pilot review has already been carried out in the Lochaber area.11/1/2011
Tenants start the New Year in first council houses to be built in the Highlands for 15 years
The first council houses to be built in the Highlands since1996 are now completed and tenants have moved in to start the New Year in their new homes. As part of a £12.8m project supported by grant funding from the Scottish Government, the 9 houses in Tain and the 13 in Invergordon are the first of 107 mainstream homes that will be built by The Highland Council across the Highlands over the coming year.7/1/2011
Strategic Review of Highland School Estate
A report being presented to The Highland Council's Education Culture and Sport Committee on Thursday 13 January proposes that the initial phase of the strategic review of the entire Council school estate should feature the Associated School Groupings for Wick High School and Thurso High School. Highland Councillors are being recommended to begin the review by focusing on the 11 primary schools which feed into Wick High School and the 7 primary schools associated to Thurso High School.6/1/2011
Council assure public over salt supplies as wintry conditions return
The Highland Council has reassured the public that it has sufficient salt supplies to cope with a return of wintry conditions over the next week. Repeated treatments are required by the Council's gritting fleet as the Highlands experience a mixture of rain, sleet and snow, with ice forming and melting again on a regular basis in freezing conditions.24/12/2010
Wick Registrars On The Move
Noel Donaldson reports - THE Wick registrars office where births, deaths and marriages have been recorded, for several decades, is on the move...back to its original home in the Market Square. The transfer was revealed at this month's meeting of the Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council, by area manager, David Sutherland after councillors had heard a letter from registrar, Margaret Woods, and her assistant, Jennifer Gunn.23/12/2010
