Highland Council Finances Take A Huge Coronavirus Hit
29th April 2020
The Highland Council is preparing for a budget gap of over £80M within the current financial year due to the impact of the Coronavirus crisis.
All Members received an update today on the budget situation as part of their regular briefing sessions.
Budget Leader Councillor Alister Mackinnon said:"Officers are currently preparing a full impact analysis to assess lost income and new cost pressures we are facing.
"Just in terms of income lost, we have seen a 63% drop in our planning income alone with a 52% drop in planning applications and a 50% drop in Building Standards applications in comparison to the same 5 week period last year. So far this year our car park income has dropped from £77k to just £525 and we expect to lose some £5M in Council Tax receipts. Other losses will include Licensing fees and income from events and festivals and from advertising.
“We are facing tremendous new cost pressures at the same time, including additional adult social care, welfare, supply teaching and the costs of providing child care for key workers which alone is amounting to £0.5M every 10 weeks. Many of our staff are unable to carry out their normal duties and efforts are concentrated on dealing with the emergency situation, managing the Humanitarian Assistance Centres, volunteer coordination and helpline response. This means we are unable to deliver many of the budget savings agreed in March.
“The utmost priority is of course is to support the nationwide response to slowing the spread of the virus, providing welfare and business support and the health and wellbeing of our staff and our communities. I also want to express my thanks and my praise for the tremendous response of all our staff in taking on new tasks, adapting their roles and responding with resilience and enormous care to this crisis."
He added: “We are preparing for Recovery and Renewal in the medium to long term, but we are a long way from any return to normal."
Related Businesses
Related Articles
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Households across Scotland have received £4.1 billion in relief since the Council Tax Reduction scheme was introduced in 2013. People on low incomes are eligible for the benefit if they live in Scotland - there is no equivalent in England where most councils require each household to contribute a minimum amount of council tax, irrespective of ability to do so.
The Highland Council is preparing to carry out improvement works in Thurso at Ormlie Road and at The Mall riverside path adjacent to Janet Street. The scope of works on Ormlie Road will include junction improvements between Castlegreen Road and Juniper Drive with new drop kerbs and tactile paving and some surface repairs.
A Highland-wide partnership launched earlier in 2024 to support people on their journey towards, into and within employment is looking forward to a New Year in 2025 full of exciting opportunities designed to help hundreds more people across the Highlands unlock their work potential. Work.
The Highland Council is delighted to share that its Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme has won the Outstanding Project Award at the Scottish Green Energy Awards. Described by Scottish Renewables as a "pioneering clean power scheme", this £7 million project demonstrates the incredible impact that can be achieved through combined public and private sector investment.
The ambitious yet focused ‘Highland Investment Plan' is committed to addressing our asset challenges over the next twenty years. By using a place based approach, to ensure a more integrated community offering through the creation of new community facilities.
Applications to the Inverness Winter Payments Scheme, which is fully funded by the Inverness Common Fund, have already been awarded to 1,035 eligible households within the 7 specified Inverness Wards. Leader of Inverness Area, Councillor Ian Brown said: "Since the Scheme was opened to applications for this winter, already £114,885 has been awarded to people who live in the eligible Wards of Aird and Loch Ness, Inverness West, Inverness Central, Inverness Ness-side, Inverness Millburn, Culloden and Ardersier and Inverness South Wards.
The first Highland-wide virtual jobs fair held last month has proved to be a hit with participants and businesses. The week-long virtual event, which was delivered by the Local Employability Partnership for the West - The Highland Council, Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Department for Work and Pensions, Developing the Young Workforce and UHI North West and Hebrides was timed to coincide with Scottish Careers Week 2024.
