3rd August 2026
The latest meeting of the Caithness Committee today 3 August 2026 highlights three issues that continue to shape everyday life in the county.
The future of council housing and empty properties.
Support for community-led projects.
Keeping rural communities connected during challenging winter conditions.
While many council meetings focus on budgets and strategy, the decisions made locally often have a much more immediate impact on residents, businesses and community groups.
For Caithness, a large rural area with an ageing population, long travel distances and ongoing economic challenges, these issues are particularly important.
Housing: Making Better Use of Existing Homes
One of the most significant items considered by the committee was the future of the Void-Plus approach to council housing.
A "void" is a council property that becomes empty when a tenant leaves.
Before a new tenant can move in, the property normally requires:
Inspection.
Repairs.
Safety checks.
Preparation for letting.
The Void-Plus approach goes further by carrying out additional improvements where needed.
The aim is to make properties:
More attractive to prospective tenants.
Easier to maintain.
More suitable for long-term occupation.
The committee agreed to continue the approach.
Why Housing Remains a Major Caithness Challenge
Housing is one of the biggest issues facing rural communities.
The challenge is not simply about the number of houses.
It involves:
The condition of existing housing stock.
Availability of affordable homes.
Attracting workers.
Supporting younger families.
Ensuring older residents have suitable accommodation.
Caithness faces a particularly unusual situation.
On one hand, there are households requiring housing support.
On the other, some properties can be difficult to let because of:
Location.
Size.
Condition.
The cost of bringing them up to modern standards.
Improving existing homes can therefore be just as important as building new ones.
Housing and Economic Development Are Closely Linked
A lack of suitable housing increasingly affects the local economy.
Businesses trying to recruit staff can face a simple question from potential employees:
"Where will I live?"
This affects:
Hospitality businesses.
Care providers.
Construction companies.
Engineering firms.
Public services.
Major projects in the area, including energy developments and infrastructure investment, require skilled workers.
Without enough housing, economic opportunities can be harder to realise.
Community Funding: Small Grants With Local Impact
Another important area of discussion was community regeneration funding.
Although individual grants may appear small compared with major council budgets, they often provide essential support for local activity.
Projects supported include initiatives connected with:
Sport.
Youth activities.
Community groups.
Business networking.
Local improvements.
Examples include support for:
Sporting events.
Coaching equipment.
Community initiatives.
Local business development activity.
These projects often deliver benefits beyond their financial value by:
Bringing people together.
Encouraging volunteering.
Supporting wellbeing.
Improving the attractiveness of towns and villages.
The Challenge of Limited Funding
The reality for councils and communities is that demand for support is increasing while available funding remains under pressure.
Local groups are increasingly expected to:
Do more.
Deliver more services.
Support more people.
At the same time, volunteers are often under pressure themselves.
The question facing communities is how to maintain activity when both public finances and household finances are stretched.
Winter Service: A Critical Issue for Rural Caithness
The committee also considered the winter maintenance plan for 2026/27.
For some parts of Britain, winter roads are an inconvenience.
For Caithness, they are essential infrastructure.
A snow, ice or severe weather event can affect:
Access to healthcare.
School transport.
Business deliveries.
Tourism.
Emergency services.
Employment.
The county's geography makes this particularly challenging.
Maintaining roads across a large rural area requires:
Careful route planning.
Sufficient equipment.
Reliable staffing.
Clear priorities.
Rural Areas Need Different Solutions
The needs of Caithness are not identical to those of larger towns and cities.
A rural winter service cannot simply be measured by the same standards used elsewhere.
A road that serves a small number of homes may still be vital if it connects:
Elderly residents.
Farms.
Businesses.
Remote communities.
Maintaining rural connectivity is therefore about more than traffic numbers.
It is about maintaining access to essential services.
Environmental Health: The Hidden Frontline Service
The committee also reviewed the Environmental Health annual report.
Environmental Health is one of those council services that often receives little public attention until something goes wrong.
It covers areas including:
Food safety.
Private housing standards.
Public health protection.
Noise complaints.
Licensing-related matters.
These services play an important role in protecting residents and supporting businesses.
For example, food businesses depend on effective regulation and advice to operate successfully.
The Bigger Picture: Delivering Services With Less Money
The decisions discussed by the Caithness Committee reflect a wider challenge facing local government across Scotland.
Councils are being asked to balance:
Rising costs.
Increasing demand.
Ageing infrastructure.
Workforce shortages.
Pressure to protect frontline services.
The challenge is especially acute in rural areas where services cost more to deliver because distances are greater.
A service delivered across a compact urban area is very different from delivering the same service across hundreds of square miles.
What Should Residents Watch Next?
Several issues will remain important over the coming months:
Housing
Will investment in existing homes and new development be enough to support population needs and economic opportunities?
Communities
Can local organisations continue delivering valuable projects as funding becomes tighter?
Infrastructure
Can roads, transport and utilities keep pace with future development?
Service Delivery
Can Highland Council maintain quality services while operating under financial pressure?
Conclusion: Local Decisions With Long-Term Consequences
The Caithness Committee agenda may appear to consist of routine council business.
However, behind each item are bigger questions about the future of the county.
Housing affects whether people can live and work here.
Community funding affects whether towns and villages remain active.
Winter resilience affects whether people can stay connected.
The challenge for Caithness is not only maintaining existing services.
It is ensuring that the area remains a place where people can:
Live.
Work.
Raise families.
Start businesses.
Grow older with confidence.
The decisions made today will help shape whether Caithness can meet those challenges tomorrow.
Going Deeper
Key Issues for Decision, Agreement and Scrutiny
1. Scottish Fire and Rescue Service – Local Performance Report
Purpose: Scrutiny and comment.
The committee will receive an update from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service covering local performance.
Members are being asked to:
Review the area's fire and rescue performance.
Comment on issues affecting Caithness.
Note the report.
Likely areas of interest locally:
Response times in a large rural area.
Staffing and retained firefighter availability.
The challenges of covering communities spread over a large geographical area.
2. Community Regeneration Fund – Decisions on Applications
Purpose: Funding decisions.
This is one of the main decision-making items.
The committee must decide whether individual applications should be:
Approved.
Deferred.
Rejected.
Where funding is approved, councillors must agree:
The amount awarded.
Any conditions attached.
The committee will also agree the final grant awards within the Caithness allocation.
This is important because these funds often support:
Community facilities.
Local groups.
Economic regeneration projects.
Projects that strengthen towns and villages.
3. Housing Repairs and Capital Report ⭐
This is likely to be one of the most significant items locally.
The committee will review housing performance for:
1 April 2026 – 30 June 2026
It will also consider the future of the Void-Plus policy, which has been trialled in Caithness since July 2024.
What is Void-Plus?
Normally, when a council house becomes empty ("void"), it must be repaired and prepared before being offered to a new tenant.
Void-Plus adds extra work, such as:
Improving the condition of low-demand properties.
Making homes more attractive.
Helping new tenants sustain their tenancy.
The committee is being asked to approve continuing the policy as a mainstream approach.
This is particularly relevant in Caithness because the area has a mixed housing challenge:
Some households are waiting for suitable homes.
Some council properties, especially in certain locations or condition categories, can be difficult to let.
Older housing stock requires investment.
4. Wick Common Good Fund
The committee will review monitoring statements for:
Quarter 4 2025/26.
Quarter 1 2026/27.
The purpose is scrutiny rather than a major new decision.
Members will examine:
Spending.
Income.
Current financial position.
5. Thurso Common Good Fund
Similar to Wick, councillors will scrutinise the monitoring information for:
Quarter 4 2025/26.
Quarter 1 2026/27.
The focus will be:
Financial management.
Use of the fund.
Local benefit.
6. Environmental Health Annual Report 2025/26 ⭐
This is another important service area.
The committee will receive an update covering:
The amount and range of work being delivered locally.
Local operational priorities.
Wider Highland issues affecting Environmental Health.
Areas covered by Environmental Health include:
Food safety inspections.
Private housing standards.
Public health issues.
Pest control.
Noise complaints.
Licensing-related environmental matters.
The committee is also invited to comment on the format and content of future reports.
7. Winter Service Plan 2026/27 ⭐
The committee will be asked to approve the winter maintenance plan.
This will be particularly important in Caithness because of:
Long distances between communities.
Severe weather risks.
Importance of keeping key routes open.
Impact on elderly residents and rural businesses.
Key questions councillors may consider:
Are gritting routes adequate?
Are priorities correct?
Is there enough resilience during prolonged bad weather?
How are remote communities protected?
8. Ward Discretionary Awards
The committee will note approved awards from ward budgets.
Examples include:
Thurso and Northwest Caithness:
Scottish Surfing – Scottish National Championships: £4,000.
Highlife Highland Active Schools & Coaching Equipment: £2,250.
Thurso Football Academy training camp: £950.
North Highland Chamber of Commerce – Caithness Transport Forum: £500.
Vivid Roots Collection: £1,924.50.
Thurso Beach & Town initiative – Tennis Court Flower Beds: £460.
Join in More (Caithness): £500.
Wick and East Caithness:
North Highland Chamber of Commerce – Caithness Transport Forum: £500.
Vivid Roots Collection: £1,924.50.
Overall Assessment – What Matters Most for Caithness?
If I were highlighting the issues most likely to matter to residents, I would rank them:
Housing
The continuation of Void-Plus is significant because it links directly to the wider Caithness housing challenge:
Empty properties.
Ageing housing stock.
Need to attract and retain workers.
Difficulty finding suitable accommodation.
Community Funding
The regeneration fund decisions show where limited money is being targeted to support local groups and economic activity.
Winter Resilience
For a rural area like Caithness, roads and weather response are not just operational matters — they affect:
Businesses.
Healthcare access.
School transport.
Older residents.
Environmental Health
This provides an insight into pressures on frontline council services at a time when local authorities are facing financial constraints.
You can read all the papers for the meeting
HERE