News
The Blue Door Coffee Shop and Diner, based in Thurso, Caithness, is a finalist in the Scottish Home Baking Awards that will be staged at the 5* Mar Hall near Glasgow on Saturday 21st September. The Blue Door Coffee Shop and Diner will join thirty-three bakers and establishments that have been shortlisted in eight separate categories that celebrate the best of the best home baking in Scotland.
From 1 October 2013, The Highland Council is to introduce a new set of policies on the use of advertising signs to manage avoiding obstruction of adopted roads, footpaths and verges. Four new policies have received the approval of the Council�s Transport, Environmental and Community (TEC) Services Committee, which cover signs: for footways and footpaths; on roadside verges (subject to Planning and Development Service confirmation of requirements for Advertising Sign Consent); for display of goods for sale; and for street cafes.
The Highland Council�s Trading Standards is at the leading edge of challenging companies on Internet Delivery Charges, members of the Council�s Transport, Environmental and Community Services were today informed. Councillor Graham Phillips, Chairman of the Council�s TEC Services Committee has welcomed a report to members by Highland Trading Standards on a project about Internet Delivery Charges, he said: �The work that our Trading Standards Team has done over the past year and half is at the cutting edge of Internet retail investigation and was recently highly revered at Cosla.
The Highland Council is to re-launch its Deprived Area Fund to help create employment opportunities and tackle poverty, with the new Area Committees playing a key role in determining how money is spent locally. �440K of funding for each of the next 3 years will be distributed based on the location of the most deprived areas in Highland.
The Highland Council�s Chairman of the Transport, Environmental and Community Services (TEC) Committee Councillor Graham Phillips has welcomed progress being made on the management and maintenance of Highland Council roads. The progress has been made in response to reports by Audit Scotland on Scottish (including Highland) roads maintained by local authorities in 2004 and more recently in June 2012.
Members of The Highland Council�s Planning, Environment and Development (PED) Committee have agreed the Council�s response to the Scottish Government�s first stage consultation on the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) for 2014 � 2020. The Council anticipates a more detailed second stage consultation in the autumn 2013 from the Scottish Government.
A new multi-million pound redevelopment at mainland Scotland's most northerly port, Scrabster Harbour, is already reaping the benefits, only two months after coming into operation. Scotrenewables Tidal Power Ltd, based in Orkney, has chosen Scrabster as the location for their most recent operations and maintenance work on their prototype tidal turbine, the SR250.
The Craft shop is opening in new premises on Tuesday 13th August 2013. Open Tuesday - Saturday 9.00am - 5.00pm With a wide range of supplies for the crafter or anyone making gifts it wil be worth checking out this shop in Back Bridge Street, Wick.
Detailed sea-survey work for a tidal stream electricity 'array' in the Pentland Firth is in full swing just now with specialist vessel Lia. The officers and crew of a specialist vessel, owned by a venerable British family business with a history dating back over 200 years, have been busy this week (starting 04.08.13) in the Pentland Firth conducting detailed surveys in connection with a planned sub-sea 'tidal stream electricity' power station.
NHS Highland faces a forecast overspend of �9.8 million though a report by the organisation's Director of Finance predicts financial break-even by the end of the financial year. In a report to NHS Highland's board, which will meet on 13th August, Nick Kenton points out that his forecast of break-even depends on the delivery of savings targets and a range of management actions.
Highland fishing communities still have time to benefit from the European Fisheries Fund Axis 4 programme. Now entering into the latter stages of the programme the Highland Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) would like to highlight there is still financial support available to assist local projects.
Reporter - Bill Mowat Big 'push' by France into tidal-stream electricity developments, spearheaded by a major Pentland Firth participant, is welcomed by the chairman of Scotland's most Northerly mainland port. Community-owned Gills Harbour Ltd lies adjacent to the Firth's 'tide-fields', while upgrade works at the Gills Bay site continue throughout this summer (2013).
Police in Wick are investigating two incidents of housebreaking. One of the incidents occurred at a premises on the High Street and one in the Whitehouse Park area.
Following the news from BT that through its commercial rollout fibre broadband is now available in Inverness, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) says it expects the first exchanges of a multi million pound publicly funded next generation broadband project to go live by April 2014. The community and economic development agency signed a contract with BT in March which, alongside the telecoms company�s commercial rollout, will bring fibre broadband services to around 84% of the region�s homes.
The �600,000 project to reintroduce rail services at Conon Bridge for the first time in more than five decades has been praised at a top UK transport awards. Delivered by ScotRail and Network Rail, the station reopening earned Highly Commended in the Small Project categories at the Network Rail Partnership Awards in London.
POLICE are renewing their previous warnings about deception thefts targeting businesses across the Highlands. Police received a report of a "ringing the changes" fraud at a restaurant/pub in the Inverness area yesterday, 25 July.
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.
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).