Council budget blog launched
15th May 2010
A budget blog opened on Monday 10th May 2010 on The Highland Council's web site: www.highland.gov.uk, giving the public the chance to have their say on options for achieving major savings over the next three years.
The blog, fronted by the Council's Budget Leader Councillor David Alston, is an important part of the Council's budget consultation which will run until the end of June.
The blog begins with discussion topics on education and will continue with new topics every 10 days.
The Council aims to make decisions on the budget savings in the autumn of this year.
Councillor Alston said: "We have posed some big questions in our consultation documents and intend engaging with as wide an audience as possible in addressing the budget challenges we will face over the coming years.
"This is the first time we have used the web to engage with the public on the Council's budget and I am sure we will attract a large number of constructive suggestions as to how we can achieve the savings required over the coming years. Already some very good ideas are coming forward."
The Council has already held budget consultation meetings at Lairg and Wick and these will continue throughout the Highlands until the end of June as follows:-.
24 May: Tain and East Ross Ward Forum - Tain;
31 May: Joint Lochaber Ward Forum - Nevis Centre, Fort William;
1 June: Inverness Landward Ward Forum - Culloden Academy;
9 June: East Sutherland Edderton Ward Forum - Brora
14 June: Skye Ward Forum - Portree
16 June: Dingwall and Seaforth Ward Forum - Dingwall
17 June: Cromarty Firth Ward Forum - Ardross
18 June: Highland Youth Voice - Sleat, Skye
21 June: Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh Ward Forum - Lochcarron
22 June: Inverness City Ward Forum - Town House, Inverness
23 June: Badenoch and Strathspey Ward Forum - Boat of Garten
30 June: Nairn Ward Forum - Nairn
In addition, a new Citizens' Panel will be asked for its views. Already more than 2,000 people have indicated a willingness to take part.
Council staff and trade unions will continue to be encouraged to identify where savings can be made.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
As intimated in Highland Council's budget plan, a new senior management structure is to be implemented following approval by Council 14th March. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers, rather than three and brings Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate. The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate.
Following the success of its Business Digital Grant scheme launched last year, The Highland Council is delighted to announce further funding. This is to help Highland companies access digital support alongside other business growth support.
The Highland Council is delighted to confirm a highly successful second year for Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights between Wick and Aberdeen. The period from April 2023 to March 2024 has seen a substantial increase in passenger numbers, with several months seeing over 1,000 passengers using the service, and overall the service has seen year on year growth of 25%.
Members of Highland Council, who met on Thursday 14 March 2024, approved a corporate Digital Ambition, which has been designed to deliver significant organisational change across Council services, recognising the current priorities within the organisation. The Strategy, which is embedded within the wider Council Delivery Plan, has been developed to focus attention and resources on areas of change which will deliver the greatest benefit to the Council.
The Council remains committed to supporting mentoring in our schools, including the support that is currently delivered through the MCR Pathways programme. Highland Council is currently undertaking a review of Employability Support provided by a number of different council services and how these relate to the work carried out by external partners and in our schools.
Highland Council members have considered and agreed a revised draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan. The partnership plan has been reviewed and updated by the Community Planning Partnership.
Members at today's (14 March 2024) meeting of The Highland Council agreed the local authority's new draft Community Wealth Building Strategy. They were also asked to note that a period of public engagement on the draft will now begin, with a final strategy returning to full Council for consideration in September.
