Council welcomes funding boost for IRA replacement. The Highland Council has warmly welcomed confirmation that Inverness Royal Academy is one of the 67 schools in Scotland to benefit from major funding from the Scottish Government's "Scotland's Schools for the Future Phase 3" Programme.
£3 million preventative spending aims to promote wellbeing of young, old and deprived. The Highland Council has published proposals to improve the circumstances of young people, older adults and those struggling with deprivation by committing at least £3 million of the Council's budget each year on earlier interventions to stop situations getting worse.
Office review in Inverness and Dingwall identifies scope for rationalisation. Highland Councillors have been advised that reducing the number of Council offices in Inverness and Dingwall from 22 to 4 by 2020 has the greatest potential to deliver significant benefits and improved value to the Council when compared to retaining the current office estate.
A9 dualling Perth to Inverness "Work to dual the A9 by 2025 is gathering pace with the award of two major contracts this week" said Transport Minister Keith Brown today. The Minister was speaking as he announced details of two consultants appointed to undertake preparatory work for dualling 80 miles of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
Highland Council's Transport, Environmental and Community Services (TECs) staff are currently dealing with weather-related incidents in Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey and Lochaber. TEC Services staff have cleared one fallen tree on the B970 at Insh and three trees on Carr Road at Carrbridge.
With the Scottish legal system about to embark on the most significant changes in over a century, The Scottish Court Service (SCS) has today launched a three month consultation on its proposals for court services in the High Court, sheriff courts and justice of the peace courts. Civil and criminal justice will be reformed in the coming years following the recommendations arising from the reviews by Lord Gill, Lord Carloway, Sheriff Principal Bowen and the forthcoming Victims and Witnesses Bill.
Council responds to concerns at Thurso sheltered housing scheme. The Highland Council has responded to concerns about warden cover at a sheltered housing scheme in Thurso by visiting residents and promising to advise them soon of the outcome of the consultations.
The new Caithness District Partnership will meet in full for the second time on Friday 28 September, as part of the new arrangements under the Planning for Integration (P4i) partnership between the NHS and The Highland Council. Partners will consider a report from the NHS steering group, who are recommending a Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
The Highland Council's Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee has noted the progress being made with trials to achieve energy and carbon savings in street lighting. Members were told that the introduction of new technology energy efficient white lights with associated 25% dimming between midnight and 6 am has generated annual savings of £60,000.
New public toilets in Thurso are now open for use by visitors and locals. On Monday (17 September 2012) Jannetta Sutherland, Visitor Services Advisor with VisitScotland, whose office is opposite the new toilet block, was invited to cut the ribbon to mark the completion of the project.
A proposal to build a new town to accommodate up tp 10,000 residents in over 4000 new homes to be built over a 30 - 40 year period finally got the go ahead today The proposals relate to the creation of a new community on 259 hectares of land on the A96(T) just to the north east of Tornagrain and south of Inverness Airport. It is envisaged that the town will have a population of around 10,000 when built out over an estimated 30-40 year period.
Questions and Answers for Private Landlords and Applicants What is the Deposit Guarantee Scheme? The Highland Deposit Guarantee Scheme (here after referred to as the scheme) provides the 'Guarantee' of a deposit instead of a tenant providing cash deposit immediately. The Guarantee is to assist people having difficulty raising a cash deposit at the initial stage of the tenancy.
Capital investment by the Highland Council over the last 18 months has delivered £1.6 million of environmental improvement projects across Highland communities. Members of today's PED Committee had the opportunity to see photos of some of the projects which have been implemented by the Planning and Development Service in support of economic development.
The Boundary Commission for Scotland today (Thursday 13 September 2012) begins an eight week final consultation period with its Sixth Review of UK Parliament Constituencies. The final consultation period allows comments to be made to the Commission concerning any of its revised proposals for constituencies.
A Highland Council campaign aimed at reducing smoking related litter on the streets of Inverness has seen a 25% reduction in litter with smokers helping out and 'Binning their butts'. The Highland Council ran a week long campaign which saw Officers out and about in the Inverness City centre speaking to smokers and raising awareness of the problems of tackling cigarette litter.
The Highland Council's ambitious vision to support the sustainable economic growth of the Highland's has been commended at a national awards ceremony. The Highland-wide Local Development Plan received a Commendation at the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning in the Quality of Service Category.
A total of 20,000 households in the Highlands are being given the chance to take advantage of a free offer to keep their homes warmer this winter and cut their energy costs. Households in The Highland Council wards of Cromarty Firth, Tain and Easter Ross and Aird and Loch Ness received letters from The Highland Council this week outlining how they can apply for free loft and cavity wall insulation.
The Highlands has a new Youth Convener. John Erskine from Dingwall has this week taken up the unique role of Highland Youth Convener.
Highland Council call for increased awareness of risks from private water supplies. The Highland Council has two thousand private water supplies which serve around seven thousand properties throughout the area.
Still time to apply for Highland Council and University of the Highlands and Islands Gaelic Bursary Scheme Students wishing to learn, or study through the medium of Gaelic at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig UHI and Lews Castle College UHI are being invited to apply for a Gaelic Bursary Scheme. The deadlines for applications submitted to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig is Friday 14 September, and to Lews Castle is Friday 21 September 2012.