Highland fishing communities are encouraged to apply for assistance from the European Fisheries Fund. The fund aims to help develop communities where fishing is in decline by supporting measures to build skills and knowledge and increase the capacity of local fishing communities and business networks through innovation, collaboration and diversification.
Trading Standards officers of The Highland Council Standards are warning householders to be on their guard if approached at their home and offered tarmacking. This follows reports being received that rogue traders are operating in the Dornoch area and are informing householders that they are in the area working for The Highland Council and have some tarmac left over.
The Highland Council has agreed the process for recruiting a new Chief Executive, following the announcement by Alistair Dodds, Chief Executive, that he will retire on 31 August. The post, which carries a salary of £140,112, will be advertised on Friday 3 May with a closing date for applications on Friday 17 May.
The Highland Council has expressed its deep regret at the liquidation of Castletown-based company, Icetech Freezers Ltd, with the loss of more than 70 jobs. Councillor Deirdre Mackay, Leader of the Council’s Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee, said: “This is a huge blow for the Caithness economy.
1,428 people have applied for a postal vote for the up-coming Landward Caithness by-election. This represents just over 16% of the total electorate.
Inverness West Link public consultation Torvean and Ness-side Development Brief A 7-week period of public consultation period begins today (Tuesday 16 April 2013) on the detailed design of the £27.2 million Inverness West Link Road as well as the Draft Development Brief for the Torvean/Ness-side areas of Inverness. Tomorrow (Wednesday), plans for the road and the draft development brief will be on show at a public exhibition/drop-in session at Kinmylies Church (10am till 8pm).
Three areas in the Highlands are to pilot an initiative by The Highland Council to bring empty properties back into affordable housing use. The Council’s Housing and Property Service is to initially target the Black Isle, Inverness Central and Nairn, as pilots which together provide a mix of rural and urban locations.
The latest Census figures released by the National Register of Scotland, show that Highland’s population growth spans the age range. Highland’s population has risen by 23,000 between 2001 and 2011 to 232,000.
Highland Councillors have set a target of providing 200 new homes over the next four years for people who find themselves in an emergency homeless position. They plan to gradually reduce the amount of money spent on purchasing temporary accommodation from the private sector, such as Houses of Multiple Occupation, and instead build and acquire an expanding pool of one-bedroomed homes in appropriate locations that can be used as a temporary base for the homeless.
Highland Councillors have agreed to adopt a “sympathetic ” policy for those Council house tenants affected by the new Bedroom Tax, who unavoidably fall into rent arrears through the loss of housing benefit for under-occupying their homes. It is estimated that 2,200 Highland Council tenants (16%) are affected by the introduction of the Social Rented Sector Size Criteria Restriction (Bedroom Tax), which sees people who are under-occupying by one bedroom having their benefit reduced by 14% and those under-occupying by more than one room having their benefit reduced by 25%.
Councils face tougher challenges in the year ahead, particularly in dealing with budget pressures, says the Accounts Commission in its annual overview report published today. Pressures on resources and demands on services mean that councils may now have to consider decisions, which they had previously ruled out, to balance their budgets.
The £50M project for two new Primary Schools, a new High School, and new Community Facilities, incorporating a replacement Library and swimming pool, due for completion for use in August 2015, takes another step forward this month. The planning process for major works includes a “Pre-Application Consultation” in which the proposals are shared with the public, so that comments at this stage can be considered by the architects before formal Planning Applications are submitted.
A landmark memorandum of understanding has been signed today joining in partnership the Highland Council and the Cromarty Firth Port Authority. This will further strengthen good working relationships and produce a blueprint for the future of the Cromarty Firth.
Small firms from across the Highlands will get the lowdown on how to tap into traditional and alternative sources of finance at an event in Inverness later this month. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has joined forces with local business experts Highland Opportunity and their Business Gateway service plus MSP, Rhoda Grant, to host a special event -Accessing Business Finance - at the Inverness Caledonian Thistle Stadium on the 29 April.
Members of The Highland Council’s South Planning Applications Committee have voted to raise no objections to an application by Scottish & Southern Energy Renewables to erect a wind farm at Stronelairg on the Garrogie Estate, subject to additional conditions on top of the amendments and conditions listed in the committee report. The vote was carried 11 votes to 3 after a site visit and debate today (Monday 8 April 2013).
The Scottish Government has increased fees for planning applications by 20 per cent from 6 April 2013. This is the first increase in planning fees since 2010.
The Highland Council has provided information and advice to more than 600 Council house tenants affected by the reduction in their Housing Benefit due to the implementation of the Bedroom Tax. This new legislation from the UK Government, that came into effect from 1 April, means a deduction is being imposed on working age housing benefit claimants who live in council or housing association homes where it has been deemed that they are under occupying their home.
Exciting plans for the future development of the Torvean/Ness-side areas of Inverness, together with the timetable for proceeding with the £27.2 million Inverness West Link Road were revealed today (Friday 5th April 2013) by senior members of The Highland Council. Council Leader Drew Hendry was joined by Depute Leader David Alston, Convener Jimmy Gray, and Leader of the City of Inverness Area Committee Ian Brown and Planning and Development Chairman Thomas Prag in highlighting the huge potential to make Inverness a better connected city, provide much-needed affordable housing and create a recreational/sporting hub in the west of the city, the equal of any in Scotland.
Notice of Poll Four candidates will contest the forthcoming by-election to elect one councillor to serve The Highland Council’s Ward 4 – Landward Caithness. The candidates are: David Baron, Scottish Labour Party Gillian Coghill Hanna Miedema, Scottish National Party (SNP) Barbara Anne Watson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Candidate The by-election will be held on Thursday 2 May and voting will take place at 14 polling stations between 7.00 am – 10.00 pm.