Other Public Services News
11/7/2011
ARE YOU AGED 60+ AND IN NEED OF HOUSING?
Cairn Housing Association has a number of 1 bedroom flats and studio apartments available for Immediate Let in its sheltered housing complex Caberfeidh Court, Wick The flats have a living room, bedroom, entrance hall, separate kitchen, bathroom and storage area. The studio apartments have a combined living room/bedroom, entrance hall, separate kitchen, bathroom and storage area.11/7/2011
Proposal To Move Breeder Fuel From Dounreay To Sellafield
The NDA has published Preferred and Credible Options associated with the management of DFR breeder material, currently stored at Dounreay. The paper describes and discusses the relevant factors associated with each high level option, and draws conclusions based on the analysis.10/7/2011
Major Hazard Shrinks 20 Million Becquerels A Second
"Significant progress" has been made to destroy one of the most hazardous legacies of Britain's nuclear research programme from the 20th century, according to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. "Significant progress" has been made to destroy one of the most hazardous legacies of Britain's nuclear research programme from the 20th century, according to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.6/7/2011
£8m Engineering Centre Opens September 2011
Apprentices from local engineering companies will be among the first students to register at the new engineering wing at North Highland College. The centre is believed to be amongst the largest and best equipped of its type in the north of Scotland.6/7/2011
351 Particles Recovered Near Dounreay
A nine-week operation has recovered more than 350 particles of irradiated nuclear fuel from the seabed near Dounreay. It takes the total number of particles now recovered from the marine environment around the former atomic research site to more than 2300.24/6/2011
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership
Week commencing 20th June: Energy: DSRL and Caithness Chamber of Commerce hosted a visit to the area this week from Dan Mistry UKAEA Culham Division, who met with a range of local companies and organisations to inform them of potential supply chain opportunities in the international fusion research programmes. In our wash-up meeting with Dan after his two days in Caithness it was encouraging to hear his views on the area's engineering capabilities, and to have it confirmed that contracts in the fusion sector are within the engineering capabilities of area businesses.23/6/2011
Industry can lead way to deliver distinct Caithness & Sutherland tourism identity
A report issued this week outlines how Caithness and North Sutherland businesses could benefit from working more closely together to create an area wide tourism identity. Following widespread consultation involving tourism providers and visitors, analysis by the Tourism Resource Company (TRC) which was commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to support regional growth, outlines growing markets and points out that many operators displaying individual strengths could come together to support the region.16/6/2011
NDA - On Fuel Removal From Dounreay
NDA to seek views on removal of fuel from Dounreay. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is to publish a report about the proposed removal of its nuclear fuel from Dounreay and wants to hear the views of the public.13/6/2011
Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Latest Update
Week commencing 6th June: Energy: Meygen, the company behind the proposed 400MW tidal energy site between Stroma and the Caithness coast, has begun its consenting phase of work. I met with Meygen's Environment & Consents Manager, who has been helped this week by colleagues at DSRL to circulate information on the company's forthcoming public open days to gather comments on environmental impacts that might arise from the development.9/6/2011
Partnership lays "foundations for the future"
Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership (CNSRP) Business and community leaders heard an upbeat assessment of future prospects for the north as senior partners in Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership (CNSRP) met last week in Wick with members of the Partnership's Advisory Board to discuss current issues. Following the meeting, CNSRP Chairman Sir Anthony Cleaver said "This was a particularly good time for our joint meeting as we were able to reflect on the three-year plan we set out in 2007 and to look forward to our current plan for the period 2011-2014.16/5/2011
North Companies take to Global Stage at All-Energy Exhibition
A number of ambitious Caithness companies are heading to Aberdeen this week to target new business at the UK's largest renewable energy event. The All-Energy Exhibition & Conference this year has attracted over 500 exhibitors from 20 countries across the world.24/3/2011
Dounreay Dome Paint Job Scrapped
Bosses at Dounreay agreed that they won't now be spending £500,000 on a repaint of the sphere. They money saved will go instead towards actual decommissioning work.24/3/2011
New Vaults Signal Start Of Waste Clearance
The clearance of tens of thousands of tonnes of radioactive waste from the redundant nuclear site at Dounreay today moved a step closer. Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd announced the formal award of a contract to develop a disposal site for low-level waste from the decommissioning and closure of the site.24/3/2011
Clean-up Reveals 6000 Years Of Human History
Getting rid of Britain's 20th century experiment with fast breeder nuclear reactors is illuminating the history of human settlement on Scotland's north coast stretching back 6000 years. Archaeologists hired as part of the closure of the nuclear site at Dounreay have pieced together the legacy left by previous generations who occupied the site as long ago as 4000BC.24/3/2011
New Report Lists Radioactive Wastes At Dounreay
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has published the latest edition of the UK's radioactive waste inventory. This sets out the type and volumes of radioactive waste at sites such as Dounreay, as of April 1, 2010.24/3/2011
Nuclear Shutdown Cash Boost For School Skills
Cash from the closure of the fast reactor site at Dounreay is set to breed a new generation of engineers and scientists in the Scottish Highlands. The money from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority will fund half the cost of a £50,000 project to increase the number of school-leavers skilled in science, technology, engineering and maths.23/3/2011
Regeneration Partnership Update 21 March 2011
Business Services: I will be coordinating a meeting this week with representatives from the Pensions Administration Office to update local stakeholders on plans to move the PAO's base from Thurso to the Forss Business & Technology Park. The work done by staff at the PAO is a good example of the type of high-quality employment we would like to encourage as part of the economic transition process taking place over the coming months and years.20/3/2011
Regeneration Partnership Update 14 March 2011
Week commencing 14th March: Energy: Following discussions at the CNSRP Executive Board about the value of pursuing additional mechanisms to encourage inward investment into the area, CNSRP Chairman Sir Anthony Cleaver has this week written to Rt Hon George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to ask for support in making Caithness and North Sutherland one of the 10 Enterprise Zones announced by the coalition UK Government. Copies of the letter have also been sent to Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP (Chief Secretary to the Treasury) and Michael Moore MP (Secretary of State for Scotland).14/3/2011
Regeneration Partnership Report 7 March 2011
Week commencing 7th March Programme activities: Energy: Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore MP was asked by John Thurso MP during Scottish Questions at Westminster this week to support his calls for Caithness to become one of the UK's first Marine Energy Parks. The coalition Government announced this idea recently, and there is a desire in the area to take the idea forward as a means of further emphasising the Pentland Firth's role as the UK hub of marine energy development.8/3/2011