The Highland Council has announced a date for the Council's Ward 13: Aird and Loch Ness by election following the resignation of Councillor Drew Hendry (SNP). Ward 13 is a four-member ward.
Highland Council Trading Standards have issued a warning of a new twist on previous cold call telephone scams, which has been termed as the ‘disconnection scam'. This recent type of scam can affect both businesses and consumers.
LEADER of The Highland Council, Margaret Davidson has called for a pause on the decision to close the Inverness Control Room to emergency calls in December this year, pending the outcome of the national review. Cllr Davidson attended a meeting with Police Scotland yesterday, where she was briefed on the plans to relocate the Inverness Area Control Room and Service Centre functions from Inverness to Central belt control rooms.
Following the resignation of Councillor Drew Hendry (SNP), a by-election will be held to elect a Member for The Highland Council's Ward 13: Aird and Loch Ness. Ward 13 is a four-member ward.
A letter sent to residents across HighlandighlandHihepifn[AT]WK ALKJ;A Llaclj;cnx claiming they have won a 'postcode lottery' is a scam. Several people have reported the scam to Highland Council Trading Standards, many others will have realised it's a hoax and thrown the letter away but some may be more vulnerable and find themselves being tricked.
Two Ward Forums are being held in Thurso and Wick on 22nd July and 29th July to discuss the traffic management in both towns and its environs. Members of the public will be able to have their say on how they see the management of vehicles in both towns over the coming years.
The Highland Council is considering the impact of the UK budget statement by the Chancellor George Osborne on 8 July 2015 in which he announced further cuts to the benefits and welfare system. Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Margaret Davidson said: "We are currently considering the impact of the budget statement on Highland.
Sixteen Highland students graduated (Saturday 27 June) through the University of Aberdeen in partnership with The Highland Council following an eighteen month distance learning diploma in Primary Teaching. The course, Distance Learning Initial Teacher Education (DLITE) is completing its inaugural session in June 2015, seeing these students enter their Probation year in Highland schools this August.
The new Head Teacher of the new Lochaber Gaelic primary school, Bun-Sgoil Ghàidhlig Loch Abar, received the keys to Highland Council's second purpose built Gaelic school in the Highlands today (Friday 3 July 2015). Frank Reid, Regional Managing Director for Robertson Construction Northern - contractors for the development at Ardgour Road in Caol - handed the keys for the property over to Head Teacher, John Joseph MacNeil, who takes up post at the start of the new term in August.
July is Scams Awareness Month and The Highland Council's Trading Standards team is joining forces with Citizens Advice Bureaux to warn consumers about the risks of being caught out. Trading Standards Manager Gordon Robb explained.
The Highland Council has welcomed the clear and unanimous recommendation published in the long-awaited report from the Independent Airports Commission into increasing the UK's airport capacity, that increased runway capacity should be created at Heathrow Airport, London with the construction of a third runway. The Commissions' report stated that "capacity constraints at Heathrow Airport have seen the number of domestic connections decline at the airport over recent years with no daily service operating between Heathrow and Inverness since 1997." It added that "a new runway at Heathrow will enhance the domestic connectivity of the UK, strongly benefitting the regions outside of London and the South East." .
The Highland Council has published its notice to tender for ICT Core Services on Public Contracts Scotland website. The scope of the ICT Core Services to be sourced under this procurement are broadly defined as ‘providing managed technology infrastructure, application systems and desktop services required for the delivery of the Authority's business including educational ICT and online Public Access Services'.
Councillor Helen Carmichael who represents Aird and Loch Ness Ward was elected as the new Provost and Leader of Inverness and Area today (Thursday 25 June 2015). Nominated by Councillor Margaret Davidson, and seconded by Councillor Jim Crawford, Councillor Carmichael was duly elected at a special meeting of the City of Inverness Area Committee held at Council Headquarters in Inverness.
The Highland Council has agreed to invest £2.36 million in repairing the regional road network. The non-earmarked balance of reserves from 2014-15 is £5.928 million.
Eight businesses are the first in Highland to successfully apply for free Broadband Connection Vouchers which will now enable them to boost their broadband to make sure they benefit from new IT opportunities and better productivity. The scheme, which provide grants of up to £3,000 to help small businesses and charities is funded by the UK Government's SuperConnected Cities Initiative and is administered locally by The Highland Council in conjunction with City of Edinburgh Council.
At its meeting on 16 June 2015, the Highland Licensing Board approved the final terms of its Supplementary Licensing Policy Statement on Extended Hours for Special Events of Local or National Significance. This supplements the Board's main Licensing Policy Statement 2013-2016 and will have effect as Board Policy until November 2016, when the main Statement is next due for review.
On Friday 26 June, the Caithness District Partnership will meet in full as part of the arrangements under the Planning for Integration (P4i) partnership between the NHS and The Highland Council. Issues to be discussed will include updates on the NHS redesign of Caithness General Hospital and local NHS staffing.
A special meeting of the Council was held this morning to form a new Administration and elect a Leader and senior officer bearers. It was agreed that a Minority Administration of the Independent Group would lead the Council with Cllr Margaret Davidson as elected Leader.
On Wednesday 10th June 2015 The Highland Council held a facebook chat giving lots of information and advice on what people can do to ensure they are receiving the correct benefits and tax credits, as well as giving handy tips on how to manage budgets and avoid getting into debt. Staff from the Council's Income Maximisation and Money Advice teams spent two hours on facebook answering questions on benefits, welfare, money advice and personal budgeting.
High Life Highland has today announced that the contract to provide new improved facilities at Thurso Swimming Pool has been awarded to local contractor O'Brien Construction Ltd. The project jointly funded by The Highland Council and sportscotland will see a total investment of £2.7M in the facility providing a new gym/fitness suite, a new dance studio, steam room , sauna, new changing village and replacement of the roof.