Council Director to step down
29th November 2013
Mr Neil Gillies, The Highland Council’s Director of Transport Environmental and Community Services, has announced his decision to retire from the Council, with effect from the end of January, next year.
Mr Gillies joined the former Highland Regional Council in 1978 and worked on a wide range of civil engineering projects including roads, bridges, harbours and coast protection works, and road maintenance.
He was appointed as Head of Roads and Community Works in 2002, in the newly formed Transport, Environmental and Community Services, which saw three Council Services being brought together.
The step up to Director of TECS came in 2006, when he took on responsibility for the full range of services including waste management, roads and transport, harbours, environmental health and trading standards.
Challenges over the past seven years included the transformation of the Council’s waste collection service, delivering major civil engineering projects across the Highlands, including lifeline roads in Skye, Lochaber and Sutherland and major flood prevention works in Inverness.
Mr Gillies will leave as the Council introduces a new Service structure, with five new Services replacing the existing 7. The responsibilities of Transport Environmental and Community Services will be taken over by two new Services –Capital and Development and Community Services.
Stuart Black, Director of Planning and Development, will be taking up the position of Director of Capital and Development.
Community Services is a new Service and the Council has today (Friday) advertised for a Director to shape a service that will deliver front line services, such as housing, waste management, community works, cleaning, transport, roads and winter maintenance, environmental health, emergency planning, harbours and street lighting.
Meanwhile, the Council has appointed Michelle Morris to take on additional duties as Depute Chief Executive, deputising for Chief Executive Steve Barron during his absence. Ms Morris, who was Assistant Chief Executive, joined the Council in early 2008 from the City and County of Swansea Council. She will assume the title of Director of Corporate Development in the new Service structure.
Related Businesses
Related Articles
11/12/2025
Exciting Career Opportunities With The Highland Council Now Open For Applications
# 10 December 2025 Career opportunities with The Highland Council The Highland Council is looking to fill a variety of posts relating to civil engineering and flood risk management based in locations across the area. Included are opportunities specifically for civil engineering graduates and technicians, providing the ideal job with career progression for anyone recently qualified and ready for a varied and interesting role.
8/12/2025
What the NC500 Research Projects Are Designed to Do - and Why They Matter for the Highlands
As the North Coast 500 approaches its tenth anniversary, it has become one of Scotland's most well-known tourism success stories. The 516-mile loop around the far north of the Highlands has been celebrated internationally, marketed as a world-class road trip, and credited with transforming visitor numbers in some of Scotland’s most remote areas.7/12/2025
Help Shape the Future of Thurso
The Highland Council is inviting people that live, work, or study in Thurso, to come along to the public consultation events to have their say. This is an opportunity to help shape the future of Thurso, to gather views and ideas.
7/12/2025
Are Scottish Councils Quietly Reversing Outsourcing? A Look at Insourcing, Cuts and the Highland IT Shift
A notable article in the Guardian on 6 December 2025 noted the high sums being paid by London councils outsourcing services to private firms. The article starts with the reduction in council funding by UK government since 2010.4/12/2025
Council welcomes Visitor Levy flexibility plan
The Highland Council welcomes moves by the Scottish Government to introduce greater flexibility on how it could design a Visitor Levy Scheme for consultation. The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 currently provides local authorities with discretionary powers to implement percentage-based levies following statutory consultation.4/12/2025
Highland Council is reaching out for views to shape its next 26/27 budget.
As it looks to set out its forthcoming priorities, the council is seeking involvement from members of the public, including businesses, community groups, parents, and young people. All their opinions are going to be crucial in deciding how Highland Council will take on its budget challenge for 2026-2027.4/12/2025
Have your say in Thurso's future £100million investment by attending public consultation events
Thurso is to benefit from £100m investment in education and community facilities and are rolling out the first phase of public consultations on 9 and 10 December 2025. The Highland Council is inviting people that live, work, or study in Thurso, to come along to the public consultation events to have their say; this is an opportunity to help shape the future of Thurso, to gather views and ideas.2/12/2025
Finding new owners for empty homes - Scheme launched to help return more empty homes to active use
A new online portal has been launched to bring empty homeowners together with prospective buyers or developers with the aim of facilitating more properties to be used as homes again. Covering the whole of Scotland, this builds on the success of local pilots, referred to as "matchmaker schemes".1/12/2025
Consideration for short term let control area in Skye and Raasay
Steps towards introducing a short term let control area have been considered by Highland Council's Isle of Skye and Raasay area committee. On Monday (1 December 2025) the committee heard evidence to justify the grounds for the introduction of a Short Term Let Control Area covering all or part of Skye and Raasay.28/11/2025
Workforce North event spotlights Highland economy
EMPLOYERS and educators from across the Highlands have gathered to hear how a new initiative is aiming to transform the region's economy. Workforce North - A Call to Action brought together business leaders and teachers from primary and secondary schools from across the Highland Council area with a wide range of partners geared towards education, learning and skills development at Strathpeffer Pavillion.
Our Social Media
