The Highland Council’s Leader Councillor Drew Hendry has written to the Scottish Government seeking emergency financial assistance towards the cost of repairing damage caused to piers and harbours and coastal defences by recent exceptional storms. In a letter to Richard Lochhead, MSP, Cabinet Secretary, Rural Affairs and the Environment, Councillor Hendry says: “In Highland, the storm surge caused extensive damage along the eastern coastline between Wick and Nairn and our officials are currently carrying out detailed inspections to assess the nature and extent of the damage.
Commuters urged to think ahead. A programme of essential repairs to the Kessock Bridge took a step forward today when Transport Scotland announced that Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering had been appointed to undertake the works.
Many people become the victims of fraudsters intent on conning them out of their cash. If you receive an unsolicited or unexpected telephone call, be on your guard as it may be a scam.
Wick and Thurso communities to get unique opportunity to plan their futures. Work on the new Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan will begin in early 2013.
Ministers will consider emergency financial assistance for local authorities to help deal with the costs of the storm damage last weekend. Aberdeenshire Council and The Moray Council have made representations to the Scottish Government to activate the Bellwin Scheme as a result of the severe storms over the weekend.
A plan will be prepared next year to guide development activity in the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters. The Government Directorate Marine Scotland, Orkney Islands Council and The Highland Council have set up a working group to take forward the project and are encouraging stakeholders to get involved in the development of the plan.
The Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Drew Hendry has welcomed today’s announcement that the Global Energy Group, owner of Nigg Energy Park, is launching a Highland-wide recruitment drive to find an additional 400 skilled personnel in a wide range of energy disciplines to support their existing labour force in the delivery of contract work. Councillor Hendry said: “The Council’s programme places the highest priority on sustainable economic growth and economic recovery.
The Highland Council is putting plans in place to carry out essential repairs to it harbours and coast defence structures which were damaged by the storm surge last weekend (14/15 December 2012). The initial clear-up is completed and work is now ongoing to plan for the repair works which will be carried out by the Council’s directly employed staff and contractors.
The Highlands has 17 datazones ranked in the most deprived 15% in Scotland according to the Scottish Government’s latest release of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). SIMD has been designed to identify the most deprived areas across Scotland.
The Highland Licensing Board has confirmed its decision to abolish its door entry policy, which required customers at 13 night clubs across the Highlands to enter the premises by midnight. The Board took a policy decision to abolish its door entry policy at a meeting on 20 November on the basis that it had not been demonstrated that the policy continued to serve any of the 5 licensing objectives.
Recycling and refuse collection arrangements over the Christmas Holidays. With the 2012 festivities almost upon us, The Highland Council is advising households not to get snowed under with waste but to take advantage of all the recycling opportunities available over the Christmas holidays.
Highland Council publishes help and advice for private landlords and letting agents. Private landlords are being given information about new laws and advice about what they need to do to meet their new duties in the latest edition of The Highland Council’s Landlord News published this week.
The Highland Council is taking stock of the damage to its eastern coastline following storm surges over the weekend which resulted in damage to existing coastal defences and a number of harbours. Staff from The Council’s Transport, Environmental and Community Services were been deployed throughout the week end to respond to local flooding issues and clean up the debris resulting from the storms.
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.
Contract awarded for Inverness Campus access. Work will start in the New Year on the widening of Culloden Road to provide a new access into the new Inverness Campus which Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is developing at Beechwood.
Road condition and gritting treatment reports by The Highland Council’s, Transport, Environmental and Community Services for the morning of Wednesday 5 December 2012 are as follows: Skye and Lochalsh 1 - 2" snow cover on ice, treating will be ongoing throughout the day. Posted: 05/12/2012 10:06 Lochaber Area All planned routes treated.
Invergordon welcomes new Council house tenants. Ten new council homes in Invergordon are the latest to be completed by The Highland Council as part of a 257-house Highland-wide project supported by the Scottish Government.
The Highland Council awarded £24,000 to trial new project to prevent littering in the Highlands. A new project led by The Highland Council to prevent littering around 10 secondary schools in the Highlands is set to take place thanks to funding awarded by Zero Waste Scotland, the Scottish Government-backed body set up to help Scotland reduce waste, recycle more, and use resources sustainably.
Community and third sector organisations are being invited by The Highland Council to submit applications for the Council’s 2013 Deprived Area Fund. Applications will be welcomed for projects that will help communities to develop activities aimed at improving quality of life and regenerating communities.
Highland Councillors are united in their condemnation of the far-reaching nature of Welfare Reform changes proposed by the UK Government in a bid to find savings of £18 billion by 2014/15. Councillor Alasdair Christie, Chairman of the Council’s Welfare Reform Working Group, led the criticism of the proposals, which he predicts will seriously affect the wellbeing of the most vulnerable members of the community.