Scots Tory MEP Struan Stevenson is to host a special meeting for farmers and hauliers angry about the way livestock regulations are fiddled in parts of the EU, but strictly applied in Scotland. The meeting in Wick on March 1, concerns the Transport Regulations which look set to be changed again, even though UK farmers complain that other EU farmers don't comply with the current rules.
Resources Committee Report -17 February 2010 Highland Councillors have welcomed a new agreement with third sector organisations in Highland - voluntary, charity, community organisations and social enterprises - which aims to strengthen working relationships. The "compact", which comes into effect on 1 April, is the result of extensive consultation between the Council, NHS Highland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the third sector.
Resources Committee Report Highland Councillors have today agreed to a package of measures to reduce costs arising from Members' travel, catering, councillor surgeries and accommodation expenses. At the meeting of the Council on 17 December 2009 it was agreed that £50,000 would be removed from the members' budget in 2011/12.
A major change in the social history of Lybster occurred on Saturday evening of 13th February 2010 with the closing of the doors on the business of D Munro-better known as the 'Cafe' or 'Eric's' Eric and Eileen are retiring after 46 years in the present shop. The business of D Munro was actually started by Eileen's Mum (Diane) and Dad (David Lloyd George - they were keen on politics in these days!) on 12th August 1954.
An enhanced online system enabling people to submit planning applications, appeals against decisions, and track progress of proposals in the Highlands goes live on Tuesday 23rd February. Applications will be processed electronically by a team of seven staff based at the Council's electronic processing centre in Inverness.
Six residents from the Highlands and Western Isles are to be presented with an Honorary Award by the RNLI in recognition of their outstanding support to the charity. Four are to receive a gold badge, the third highest honour bestowed by the charity upon fundraising volunteers.
On Saturday 6 March 2010 The Highland Council will be hosting a conference in Inverness organised by the Highland Environmental Network (HEN) on the theme of encouraging young people to connect with the environment. Entitled "Making Green the new Black", the day long event will feature guest speakers and workshops and will look at creative ways to get young people involved with their environment.
Pentland Alliance, the joint venture comprising AMEC, CH2M HILL and UKAEA/Babcock, is to sponsor an important apprentice skills programme for the Caithness region in the north of Scotland. The sponsorship was announced on Thursday, February 11th in Manchester at the National Skills Academy for Nuclear/Cogent Annual Skills Awards Dinner.
Bursary Award - Fourth Round The National Skills Academy for Nuclear in partnership with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is rolling out a fourth round of their Bursary award scheme. The scheme is aimed at quality individuals on programmes of study relevant to the decommissioning sub sector of the nuclear industry and includes Foundation Degrees, Honours Degrees, Masters Degrees and Post graduate CPD qualifications.
Community and Renewable Energy Scheme CARES stands for Community and Renewable Energy Scheme and is the Scottish Government's rebranding of the previous Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) programme. Community Energy Scotland were awarded the contract to deliver CARES across the whole of Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government for three years from May 2009.
A Young Mother's Project that was launched late last year in the Castletown area, is to hold an open morning in the Castletown Hotel on Tuesday 16th February. The event will run from 10:00 to 12:00 and is for all Young Mums in the Castletown and surrounding areas.
Around 7000 graduates' career prospects have been given a boost, now that over fifty universities have taken up the Government's £13.6 million fund to provide internships in small businesses by the end of the year as part of the Backing Young Britain campaign to help young people into work. The graduate internship programme, which is being promoted by the Federation of Small Businesses, will support small businesses to take on - and get the best from - a graduate intern.
Sandy Cumming CBE, Chief Executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for the past nine and a half years, plans to leave the organisation next month and take on a new, national role. Mr Cumming (57), is the Scottish Government's choice to help spearhead the development of renewable offshore energy across the public sector in Scotland.
HIE efficiency drive aims to put more resources towards priorities Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is to reorganise its workforce to better deliver its role in supporting the region's economic and community development. The agency is to target greater resources towards a number of priority areas of work, while also running a voluntary severance scheme with the aim of reducing staff numbers and payroll costs overall.
Two prominent UK tourism businesses are joining forces to lead the way with a multi-million pound plan to revitalise one of Scotland's best known destinations, John O'Groats. Following public consultation and the production of a Masterplan, commissioned by Highlands and Island Enterprise (HIE), Heritage Great Britain has revised its development plans for the iconic landmark.
Dounreay was the centre of the UK's fast reactor research and development programme from 1955 until 1994, and is now Scotland's largest nuclear clean-up and demolition project. By 2025, DSRL expects to have completed the decommissioning of the site.
The latest edition of Dounreay News is available at http://www.dounreay.com/news-room/dounreay-news Always packed with photos of past events and current activities at the site..
Package includes extra cash for road repairs and rate savings for 60 per cent of Scottish businesses Scottish councils are to receive a funding increase in 2010-11 to help protect frontline services despite the Westminster-imposed cut in the Scottish Budget. Finance Secretary John Swinney today confirmed a package of support for local government and business in Scotland which includes: * Total funding for councils in 2010-11 of almost 12 billion pounds * Confirmation that councils will continue to receive an increasing share of the total Scottish Budget * Five million pounds over and above the funding settlement to be shared among councils to repair damaged roads following severe cold snap * A drop in business rates for almost 60 per cent of Scottish firms, delivering average savings of more than 1,300 pounds annually * Help for councils to manage the costs of back claims for equal pay Mr Swinney said:"We recognise the very real challenges faced by councils and businesses in a challenging climate.
If the trends of recent years continue, the population of the Highlands is set to reach 257,965 by 2033, representing an increase of 18% (38,565) from the 2008 population of 219,400. This is a higher rate of population increase than given by the previous 2006-based projections.
The Highland Council has confirmed a freeze on the Council Tax for a third year in succession. The tax for 2010-11 is: Band A: £775.33; Band B: £904.56; C: £1,033.78; Band D: £1,163; Band E: £1,421.44; Band F: £1,679.89; Band G: £1,938.33; Band H: £2,326 In setting the budget of £607.2 million for 2010-11, the Council has found savings of £12.1 million in 2010-11; identified further savings of £11 million in 2011-12 and 2012-13; and estimates that savings of £36 million still require to be found in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
