The Highland Council will launch its new petition procedure on Thursday 1 August, providing a new avenue for individuals, communities or groups to have their concerns or issues considered and debated by the full Council or one of its strategic committees. Petitions may be submitted by:- · A group of citizens with at least 50 signatures from people living within the Council area; or · A group of at least 10 local businesses, voluntary organisations or social enterprise companies with a business address within The Highland Council area.
Week commencing 15th July 2013 Energy/ Business Services: This week’s Press & Journal picks up on the ongoing work to develop radar systems that are capable of picking up and identifying aircraft movements and movements from offshore wind turbine blades. The technology was tested recently in Scotland with apparently encouraging results.
Highland Council Trading Standards is warning consumers to be on the lookout for websites demanding a fee when making an application for the NHS European Health Insurance Card (or EHIC) or UK Passport application. Searches on the internet and consumer complaints received by the service show that many websites are offering to “review” or “forward” an application form for an EHIC or UK Passport.
Inverness Chamber of Commerce has recently launched the inaugural Highland Business Awards 2013 in conjunction with official media partners Scottish Provincial Press. The awards, an anchor event during Highland Business Week, aim to identify those businesses at the top of their game from within the Highlands, Islands and Moray and cover a wide range of categories including Caithness & Sutherland Business of the Year.
Visual impacts too high Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has today refused planning consent for the Druim Ba proposed wind farm in the Blairmore Estate, near Drumnadrochit. The Energy Minister concurred with the findings of the Public Inquiry Reporter that the number and height of the turbines would appear out of scale with the surrounding landscape and it would have significant adverse landscape and visual impacts.
Twenty eight ambitious students, bringing fresh thinking and innovative ideas to businesses across the Highlands and Islands, are gathering to brush up on their skills for the world of work at a residential training course this week Monday 15 - Thursday 18 July. The students, who come from across Scotland to work for up to twelve weeks with local businesses, are part of the TalentScotland Summer Placement Programme managed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
Influential energy trade body Energy North has unveiled an ambitious new two-year business strategy which will see the organisation grow its physical presence and increase its support for member businesses and industry development across the North of Scotland. Over the coming months Energy North is to recruit three regionally-based area developers covering Caithness, Ross-shire and Inverness, Moray, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire, and Argyll and Lochaber, with chief executive, Ian Couper leading on Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides.
The new acting head teacher of Thurso High School will be Mr Ken Murphy, who is currently Depute Head Teacher at the school. He has been appointed as Acting Head Teacher, pending re-advertisement of post, and the appointment of a permanent Head Teacher.
The benefits cap of £500 a week on people of working age has started to come into effect across England, Scotland and Wales today, following a pilot in four London boroughs. The £500 weekly cap applies to couples and lone parents – single people will be capped at £350.
The Highland Council has awarded an £8.5 million contract for the first phase of works to build flood defences on the River Ness, Inverness to protect 800 homes and 200 businesses. The works between Ness Bridge and Friars Bridge will include streetscape features and public art.
Week commencing 8th July 2013 Energy/ Business Services: A seminar this week highlighted the opportunities for the Highlands and Islands in the oil & gas industry, as outlined by noted petroleum economist Professor Alex Kemp in his keynote presentation. I was able to help discuss particular actions that will help realise some of these significant opportunities in our area.
Homes for Scotland has announced the appointment of experts in housing finance from the world renowned Cambridge Centre for Housing & Planning Research and LSE London to assist a sector-led group to identify and attract new sources of investment to help expand Scotland’s rental sector. With an estimated 465,000 new homes needed in Scotland by 2035 to cope with expected housing demand, the expert project team, headed by Homes for Scotland and backed by the Scottish Government, Scottish Development International and Construction Scotland, believes that the targeting of pension funds and other institutions could help deliver new, high quality, sustainable homes at significant scale, protecting jobs and stimulating activity in the home building sector.
The Scottish Government’s vision to provide an affordable home for all by 2020 is an ambitious one. The supply of housing is not keeping up with levels of need and the government needs to clarify how it will work with councils and other partners in the sector make sure its targets are met.
The Scottish Government will need to make sure its financial reporting is more comprehensive and transparent as it prepares for new tax and borrowing powers. An Audit Scotland report published last week, "Developing financial reporting in Scotland", highlights why good financial reporting matters.
13th of July a the Pentland Hotel Thurso 11:00 to 16:30 Come and speak to all our property experts. Local experts for Home building, interior designer, kitchens, renewable energy, joinery, home decoration, Home reports, plumbing, Electrical contractors and many more Come and speak to our expert mortgage advisor.
The Highland Council Leader Councillor Drew Hendry said he was disappointed to hear of the loss of up to 40 professional, technical and scientific jobs at Lifescan Scotland’s Inverness operation as a consequence of a decision by the company to reduce its global workforce by 300. He said: “This is always a terribly worrying time for those who will be losing their jobs.
Reporter Bill Mowat France is making a determined push to harvest the energy of its tidal streams and perhaps challenge Britain's lead in this hew 'horizontal hydro electricity' field, with employment-creating developments occurring on the other side of the English Channel. A major shareholder in MeyGen Ltd, the consortium that aims to kick-off tidal stream electricity in the Pentland Firth's Inner Sound as early as next year (2014), wants to build a second 'pilot plant' to harness the fast-flowing tides in the ten miles-wide strait between Alderney, in the Channel Islands and Normandy in Northern France.
The Highland Council has warmly welcomed the Capital and Infrastructure Committee’s report into community transport published last week. Community Transport is a vital part of overall transport provision.
The Highland Council has been commended for its efforts to improve its use of paper in a report published today by a European environmental watchdog. Identified as a “high-flyer” by the European Environmental Paper Network (EEPN), the Council was placed third in the Government sector, and in the top band of scores overall.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (July, 9th) sold 45 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (20) averaged 253.8p (+13.0p) and sold to 270p per kg and £1,701.00 gross.
