Local Authority News
10/9/2022
Highland Council Observes Period Of National Mourning
Following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, The Highland Council is observing the period of national mourning which has now commenced and will last until the end of the day of the State Funeral. The Council is following national protocols which are approved by both the UK and Scottish Governments.
4/9/2022
11 Highland Community Councils form after interim elections - 3 New Wick Community Councillors
Following last month's announcement of interim community council elections for 15 Highland communities. The Highland Council is today, 1 September 2022, able to confirm that 11 have been formed uncontested.31/8/2022
Highland Council Fund Energy Advisors To Help Tenants Affected By Rising Energy Prices
Housing and Property Committee Members met today (Wednesday 31 August) and agreed to fund two specialist advisors to help offer advice and support to tenants that are adversely affected by rising energy prices. Housing and Property Committee chair, Cllr Glynis Sinclair said: "Fuel poverty continues to rise across Highland due to the combined cost of living and energy crisis.26/8/2022
Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal report shows progress made against a backdrop of COVID-19 and Brexit
Members at today's Economy and Infrastructure Committee noted the significant progress which has been made on the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and Brexit. The annual report for 2020/21, published on Highland Council's website, illustrates some of the excellent work that the Deal enabled between April 2020 and March 2021.
26/8/2022
Ambitious Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan Approved
Economy and Infrastructure Committee Members (Thursday 25 August) approved the Strategic Tourism Infrastructure Development Plan (STIDP). Its purpose to direct future national and local area-based Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) spend.25/8/2022
Highland's trauma-informed practice ambition takes step forward with two new appointments
Members of today's Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee have made two appointments to the newly-developed role of Trauma Champion. Councillors Liz Kraft and Morven Reid were successfully appointed to the role and will represent the Council on both local and national Trauma Champion networks.18/8/2022
Highland Council Shortlisted For 4 National Awards
The Highland Council has been shortlisted for 4 APSE Service Awards which celebrate excellence in local public services. Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, Cllr Graham MacKenzie commended the Council staff, he said: "I am very pleased to advise that the Community Operations and Logistics Section has been short listed in 3 categories in the 2022 Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Awards.17/8/2022
Highland Council Invites New Applications For The Nature Restoration Fund
The Highland Council is inviting communities to apply for a share of the 2022/23 allocation of the Nature Restoration Fund. Established by the Scottish Government, the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) is a capital fund designed to help support projects that will deliver nature restoration, safeguard wildlife, and tackle the causes of biodiversity loss due to climate change.
15/8/2022
A Warm Highland Welcome For Probationer Teachers
The Highland Council warmly welcomed this year's new cohort of probationer teachers to the Highlands at Millburn Academy in Inverness. Highland's newly qualified teachers started work today (Monday 15 August 2022) in schools across the region.
8/8/2022
Opportunity To Represent Your Local Community With Interim Community Council Elections
Nominations are being invited from people seeking election to 15 Highland community councils covering areas in Caithness Sutherland, Easter Ross, Wester Ross, Isle of Raasay, the Black Isle, Inverness, Nairnshire, Badenoch and Strathspey and Lochaber. Community Councils are voluntary organisations that express the views and concerns of local people within their area across a wide range of issues from new buildings and roads to local services and facilities.
4/8/2022
COSLA leaders must make substantially increased offer to avert strikes, says UNISON
COSLA leaders meet tomorrow (Friday 5 August 2022) to discuss the local government pay offer and how they can avert substantial, long term, strikes in 1200 schools and early years centres and waste and recycling centres in councils across Scotland . UNISON is urging COSLA to use this leaders meeting to agree a substantially improved pay offer to avert serious disruption across Scotland - otherwise few if any councils will avoid some level of significant disruption.10/7/2022
Businesses Urged To Apply For Planning And Building Warrants Before Relaxation Controls End On 30 September 2022.
The Highland Council is urging businesses - particularly those in the tourism and hospitality sectors - to be prepared for the end of relaxation of planning and building warrant controls on 30 September 2022. In line with changes to the COVID-19 guidance from the Scottish Government many of the pandemic mitigations that were put in place in terms of the provision of temporary structures and their uses – are no longer required.6/7/2022
Consultation On Free Period Product Provision In Highland
The Highland Council has launched a public consultation to ask people's views on where and how they would like to see free period products made available in the Highland area. In 2021, Scotland became the first country to pass a law to make period products freely available and reasonably easily accessible to anyone who needs them.5/7/2022
Levelling Up Fund Bid For North Coast 500 And Portree Harbour
At the Highland Council meeting held on, 30 June 2022, elected Members agreed to progress the submission of two separate bids for round two of the UK Levelling Up Fund, these include the North Coast 500 (Transport Bid) and Portree Harbour (standalone Heritage bid). Economy and Infrastructure Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans said: "The Levelling Up Fund offers Highland an opportunity to bid for funds that will make a transformational impact across our communities.3/7/2022
£3.639m Economic Boost For Highland
At the Highland Council meeting held yesterday, 30 June 2022, elected Members approved a package of support totalling £3.639m for low-income households and economic growth. The approved package consists of: £0.591m - one-off grants of £125 each will be paid automatically for around 4,700 vulnerable children and young people in Primary 1 to 6th year who received school clothing grants as at 31 May 2022.3/7/2022
Council Reports A Successful Year-end Position For 2021/22
A report outlining the key points within The Highland Council's annual accounts for the year to 31st March 2022 was presented to full Council today (30 June 2022), ahead of their submission for full audit. The report shows that the Council continued to demonstrate strong financial management during financial year 2021/22, with an overall surplus of £9m recorded against the revenue budget for the general fund.3/7/2022
Councillors Give Green-light For Full Development Of Highland Investment Plan
Members of full Council, who met yesterday - Thursday, 30 June – were presented with a report on the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund and provided with an update on the process currently underway to develop a Highland Investment Plan which will determine how the funding may be used locally. A financial allocation of £9,445,515 has been awarded to Highland Council over a three-year period, which runs from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025.3/7/2022
Caithness Committee Chair And Civic Leaders Appointed
Councillor Ron Gunn, who represents the Thurso and Northwest Sutherland Ward of The Highland Council, has been appointed as Chair of the new Caithness Committee which met for the first time (Friday 1 July 2022). After taking the Chair, Cllr Gunn thanked Members for their support and then called for nominations to the roles of Vice Chairs and Civic Leaders for Thurso and Wick.
1/7/2022
Highland Council To Implement Trauma Informed Practice
At the first full Highland Council Committee meeting (30 June 2022), newly elected Members agreed that the Council will implement a trauma informed practice across all Council services. It is estimated that around 60% of the UK population has experienced psychological trauma in their lifetime.1/7/2022
