In excess of 60 businesses in Highland have now successfully applied for free Broadband Connection Vouchers, providing a boost to their broadband so they can now benefit from new IT opportunities and better productivity. The UK-wide scheme, which provides grants of up to £3,000 to help small businesses and charities on a first come, first served basis, has proved to be popular.
Commenting on today's announcement by the Deputy First Minister John Swinney, that Local authorities will be able to lower business rates in their area from 31 October 2015, Cllr Margaret Davidson, Leader of The Highland Council said: "Our ambition for Highland is to see much greater responsibility passed to the Council, as we believe decisions over local services are best taken at a local level. "While I welcome this announcement, what local government needs is the freedom to be able to vary business rates up and down.
Work on the first stage of the Kinnairdie Link Road Scheme in Dingwall will begin on Monday when contractor, Pat Munro (Alness) Ltd will be on site to carry out improvements to the junction of the A862 Newton Road and the A834 Burn Place near to the Council Offices. The A862 will be widened to provide additional stacking length on the approach to the junction from the South.
Works start Friday 16 October 2015. Two locations on the A9 near Inverness are soon to be upgraded following an investment of £520,000 from Transport Scotland.
The Highland Council is seeking public opinion on the future provision of school, public and dial-a-bus transport services across the region. A series of consultation meetings will be held across the Highlands to discuss with communities their required needs and views on future Council transport services.
Following the recent call for candidates wishing to serve on Highland Community Councils to come forward a total of 109 Councils attracted sufficient interest to form a new Council. The new Community Councils will form following Election Day on 18 November.
The Highland Council is inviting transport providers large and small to a series of events being held throughout the Highlands to find out how they can tender to supply transport services for the local authority. Representatives from the Council's Transport and Procurement Units will be holding the events throughout October 2015 in Thurso (22nd), Ullapool (23rd), Portree (26th), Fort William (27th), Aviemore (29th), Inverness (30th) and on the 2nd November in Lairg and Auchtertyre, Kyle.
The Highland Council is to hold further dialogue with Head Teachers and stakeholders on proposals to enhance support for Head Teachers and create sustained management support in Highland schools. The Council's programme, Highland First, includes a commitment to work collaboratively with Head Teachers to provide them with the best opportunity to maintain standards, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and to drive further improvement.
Members of The Highland Council's Education, Children and Adult Services Committee have agreed to support the role of Health and Social Care professionals in making people in the Highlands aware of the importance of making arrangements for Power of Attorney when they are still capable. The Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 provides a legal framework for safeguarding the welfare and managing the finances of adults who lack capacity due to mental disorder or inability to communicate.
The unseasonably good weather of late has not put The Highland Council off their preparations for snow and frost as they ask people in the Highlands - ‘Are you ready for winter?' The Highland Council is supporting the Scottish Government's Ready Scotland campaign at www.readyscotland.org and urges people in the Highlands to take some time to get ready for winter and all kinds of severe weather. Councillor Allan Henderson, Highland Council’s Chair of Community Services Committee, said: "It’s been a mild autumn so far and frosty days seem a far off prospect but we all know that conditions can change in the Highlands rapidly.
Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Margaret Davidson has welcomed the opportunity at the Convention of the Highlands and Islands held in Elgin today (5 October 2015) to discuss how to improve broadband and mobile phone connectivity across the Highlands. Commenting at the convention Cllr Davidson said: "There has been good progress today.
On 1 October 2015 the law changes as new consumer rights come into force. The Highland Council's Trading Standards team is offering advice and assistance to Highland businesses to ensure that they continue to give their customers a good and fair deal.
The twenty-second Highland Archaeology Festival gets underway at the end of this week (Friday 2nd October) with another packed programme of events across the Highlands. The fortnight-long Festival, which is co-ordinated by The Highland Council's Development and Infrastructure Service in partnership with dozens of local event organiser across the Highland Council area and in Moray, runs from Friday 2nd October to Sunday 18th October.
Significant energy is being spent on work to plan ahead and identify savings to address the anticipated budget gap. The Council meeting in June 2015 considered a report which estimated a forecast budget deficit for the next three financial years of £46.28 million.
Community Planning Partners (CPP) in Highland have agreed unanimously to support the recruitment of retained firefighters. Chair of the CPP Board and Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Margaret Davidson said: "Resilient communities are dependent on having trained fire fighters available and accessible.
Consultations commence on a review of the Highland-Wide Local Development Plan, Onshore Wind Energy Guidance and the Local Housing Strategy. The Highland Council has today launched three online consultations on planning and housing issues across the area, including a review of its main planning policy document the Highland-wide Local Development Plan.
Details of a process for a call for community transport grants applications will be considered by The Highland Council's Community Services Committee at their meeting on 5th November 2015. Twenty-two third sector organisations are currently grant funded through transport services and have been advised that their grants expire on 31st March 2016.
The Highland Council welcomes the announcement of the approval to this first stage of the roll-out of the new European Social Fund (ESF) Employability Programme for Highland which will be operating up to December 2018. This will allow the Council and Partners to develop the detailed operational programmes, which will deliver services to people with barriers to employment and provide incentives to employment for small and medium enterprises in Highland.
The Royal Regiment of Scotland will receive a warm welcome in Inverness on 15 October 2015 when granted the Freedom of the Highlands by The Highland Council. Members of the Council's City of Inverness and Area have agreed that £24,401 Inverness Common Good funding will be allocated towards the cost of arrangements required for the granting of Freedom status.