Advisory / Counseling Services News
Week Commencing 4th March 2013 Energy: Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) is currently consulting on the planning application to build new overhead lines from Dounreay to Spittal; from Spittal to Mybster; and for a new substation 3.5km south of Thurso. Information on the proposals can be found at http://www.sse.com/DounreayMybster/ProjectInformation/ and the full Environmental Statement is also available to view at the Highland Council Service Points in Rotterdam Street, Thurso and Girnigoe Street, Wick.
A programme which brings fresh thinking and new talent to businesses in the Highlands and Islands is celebrating a milestone by delivering its 100th graduate placement. 24 year old Linguistics graduate Ruth Cape is working with trail-blazing membership organisation Community Land Scotland in Tarbert on the Isle of Harris.
The owner of Scotland�s busiest snowsports centre is looking for a new operator to run visitor facilities at the resort on its behalf. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) built and owns Scotland�s only funicular railway at Cairngorm, along with associated facilities including ski lifts, the base station, shop, visitor centre, and the UK�s highest restaurant.
Energy: Meygen Ltd will be running a "Tier 2 Supply Chain" event on Tuesday 19th March. The event, which will be by invitation only, is aimed at potential suppliers to the company's first 86MW phase of plans to install tidal devices in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth.
Energy: Good news this week from Ignis Biomass Ltd, the owners and operators of the Combined Heat & Power Plant in Wick. The Company has invested an initial �2.5M in a new biomass boiler, which has now been installed and is operating.
Tourism, Food & Drink: Talent Scotland is currently advertising a Graduate Team Leader post, salary �16,000 p.a., for Natural Retreats who are recruiting for a recent graduate for a 12 month Team Leader role. The successful graduate will have the opportunity to work closely with an experienced General Manager and with senior members of the Natural Retreats team.
This report was produced by Citizens Advice Bureaux in Highland Introduction In 2011/12 Highland bureaux advised clients on 24166 new benefit issues, on-going clients returning for further advice were further advised on 21303 repeat benefit issues. The bureau therefore dealt with 45469 benefit issues, 125 issues for every day of the year.
Tourism, Food & Drink: The Institute of Design Innovation has been working with a small group of tourism businesses in Caithness & North Sutherland on a HIE-funded programme to stimulate innovation in creating high quality visitor experiences. The cluster of businesses meets regularly with facilitators from the Institute, and its progress can be seen at http://www.culturesofinnovation.co.uk/cns Tourism Intelligence Scotland is promoting a workshop run by Wild Scotland on "Wildlife Tourism" for tourism businesses.
Tourism, Food & Drink: Images of the Caithness area now feature in two separate Visit Scotland films promoting Scotland to prospective visitors. The "Surprise Yourself" promotional campaign is focused on the Natural Retreats development at John O'Groats, and also promotes the journey to get to the area.
Weekly update from CNSRP - week commencing 14th January 2013 Energy: The Crown Estate has this week announced that it will consider investing up to �20M in two wave or tidal stream projects. The investment will be in the construction of the projects, with each project involving multiple generation devices arranged in an array and with a total installed capacity of 3 megawatts or greater.
Any business looking to expand to take on new employees would do well to check out what is on offer at Highland and Islands Enterprise (HIE). www.hie.co.uk.
Week commencing 7th January 2013 Energy: The new year brings further good news from Subsea 7 as it secures another significant contract which will help maintain its current workforce of around 120 at Wester, near Wick. The contract, for Dana Petroleum, will involve pipeline construction for Dana's Harris and Barra fields located to the east of Shetland.
A new package of business IT support for organisations and individuals across the Highlands and Islands is now available. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), in partnership with Business Gateway and with support from the Scottish Government, have launched an IT engagement programme, offering online IT guides and group workshops.
An agreement to deliver the UK�s most complex broadband project to date is expected to be signed early in the New Year. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is very close to agreeing the detail of the multi-million pound project which will transform access to next generation broadband across the region.
An agreement to deliver the UK�s most complex broadband project to date is expected to be signed early in the New Year. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is very close to agreeing the detail of the multi-million pound project which will transform access to next generation broadband across the region.
Energy: Last week a number of local people were able to view a demonstration of a system designed by Nuvia and tested at T3UK near Thurso. The remote handling equipment, for spent fuel at a power station being decommissioned in Lithuania, is the product of two years of joint work between Nuvia and JGC Engineering Services.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has announced a decision to proceed with the next phase of the National Nuclear Archive project, which will see a new purpose built archive facility constructed at Wick to provide long-term storage of records and other archive material from civil nuclear sites in the UK. The archive will be operated on NDA�s behalf by a specialist commercial partner and is expected to bring more than 20 sustainable jobs to the town.
As we approach 2013, nearly five years on from the start of the �Credit Crunch� of 2008, households in the Highlands and Islands Region continue to face many financial challenges. There are challenges for both borrowers and savers in equal measure; whether it is the saver who has seen interest paid on savings being slashed, or the borrower who can no longer access credit from their Bank.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has published its renewed Gaelic Language Plan, detailing actions which the development agency will take to support Gaelic language and culture over the next three years. HIE's Gaelic Plan 2012-15 builds on the organisation�s commitment to supporting Gaelic developments and has been approved by B�rd na G�idhlig.
Week Commencing 3rd December 2012 Energy: At last week's Wave & Tidal Information Day in Thurso staff from Marine Scotland and Highland Council were present to talk about the ongoing work to develop a Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan. The pilot plan aims to develop a strategic decision-making framework for licensing and other consent applications in the marine area.