Highland Councillors have unanimously supported a call for the reinstatement of the Emergency Towing Vessel, which until recently was based in the Minches, and for the successful conclusion of an agreement with the Oil and Gas Industry to provide ETV capability for the Northern Isles, fearing an environmental catastrophe if vital cover is not provided in the rural and exposed coastal waters. Council Leader Michael Foxley highlighted the importance of the tugs at the last full Highland Council meeting before the May elections, showing slides that highlighted the extent of a potential oil spill should previous groundings have led to a spillage.
Scottish companies are being reminded that they can spread the cost of the inflationary increase in business rates through the Scottish Government's rate deferral scheme for 2012-13. The scheme gives companies the flexibility to defer the uplift in their 2012-13 business rates bills over three years.
As of Tuesday 10 April 2012, The Highland Council's out of hours calls for emergencies relating to council housing repairs, property and homelessness, as well as roads, street lighting and environmental services will now be managed by Northern Constabulary working in partnership with The Highland Council. Calls will be dealt with by specialist staff from Northern Constabulary at the Force's Operations Centre, Old Perth Road in Inverness.
A compulsory scheme to safeguard millions of pounds in deposits paid by tenants renting properties in Scotland has been approved by Housing Minister Keith Brown. Annually, tenancy deposits amount to over £74 million in the majority of the 273,000 households that make up the private rented sector in Scotland.
Full List Of Candidates on the Highland Council Web Site at http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/elections/highlandcouncilelections/list%20ofcandidates2012.htm The elections for the 80 seats on The Highland Council, being held on Thursday 3 May, will involve 170 candidates contesting all of the 22 multi-member wards. The breakdown of candidates is as follows: - Independent, 49; Scottish National Party (SNP), 33; Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, 22; Scottish Liberal Democrats, 18; Scottish Labour Party, 17; Scottish Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship, 9; Scottish Green Party, 4; UK Independence Party, 3; the Labour and Co-operative Party, 2; Scottish Liberal Democrat Focus Team, 2; Scottish Anti-Cuts Coalition, 2, All Scotland Pensioners Party, 1; No description,8.
lmost 3,000 people from Highland signed up to tackle nations litter problem - will you join them? A campaign to support communities in their effort to tackle litter - one of the most commonly perceived problems affecting Scottish neighbourhoods and communities - gets underway this weekend. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead praised the efforts of almost 3,000 people from Highland who have already committed to taking part in the National Spring Clean, which runs from 1 April to 31 May, as he launched it at Portobello near Edinburgh (Thursday 29 March).
Nominations Closed Thursday 29th March. 5 pm Wednesday 18 April: Deadline for receipt of new requests to vote by post or postal proxy, or to change or cancel an existing postal or proxy vote arrangement 5 pm Wednesday 25 April: Deadline for new applications to vote by proxy (not postal proxy) except for medical emergencies.
The Highland Council has warmly welcomed today's news that global investment management group, Aberdeen Asset Management plc is the new title sponsor of the Scottish Golf Open, being held at Castle Stuart, near Inverness, between 12-15 July 2012. The Convener of the Highland Council, Councillor Sandy Park was at Edinburgh Castle for the announcement by European Tour Chief Executive George O'Grady CBE, Aberdeen Asset Management Chief Executive Martin Gilbert and the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP, Scotland's First Minister.
A multi-agency initiative to protect the most vulnerable members of the Inverness Community from doorstep crime was launched recently at Trading Standards offices, Harbour Road, Inverness. The joint campaign is the result of a partnership between Highland Council Trading Standards, Northern Constabulary and NHS Highland.
Retailers in Caithness and Sutherland are being issued with guidance on the sale of solvents following an increase in the number of solvent abuse cases being reported among young people in the north. The Highland Council's Trading Standards campaign follows concerns raised by NHS Highland Youth Action Service and the Caithness and Sutherland Drug and Alcohol forums to an issue of solvent misuse reported in the area.
Highland Council recently approved the purchase of 20 Energy Cabins that will make big savings in energy costs and supply an income from electricity being fed into the national grid. Many of the cabins are to be installed at schools across the region.
Caithnesss councillors and members of the ward managers team welcomed the members of the Prostate Cancer Lovetrain project aiming to raise £1,000,000 to save more people from deaths by prostate cancer - one of the biggest killers of men from cancer. A team of three is walking from John O'Groats to Lands End as one of a series of fund raisers to help set up more research facilities to finally get a break through to preventing and curing this disease that kills over 10,000 men each year in the UK alone.
A multi-agency initiative to protect the most vulnerable members of the Inverness Community from doorstep crime was launched on 22 March 2012 at Trading Standards offices, Harbour Road, Inverness. The joint campaign is the result of a partnership between The Highland Council Trading Standards, Northern Constabulary and NHS Highland.
Tanker grounding once again highlights need for tug cover. Highland Councillor Michael Foxley has expressed his relief that Monday's grounding of the tanker, MV Flinterspirit, off North Uist did not result in a serious environmental incident in which lives were lost.
Partnership agreement breaks new ground for caring services in the Highlands. Today the Board of NHS Highland sealed a ground breaking partnership agreement with the Highland Council.
Partnership agreement seals integration of caring services in the Highlands. Highland Councillors have sealed a ground breaking partnership agreement with NHS Highland to improve outcomes for the people of Highland through the development of integrated services.
The timetable for the partial reopening of the A 890 Lochcarron - Kyle road at Stromeferry has been slightly amended following the first day's operation. There is a change to the Monday - Friday timetable.
The Leader of The Highland Council is delighted that the Scottish Affairs Committee reviewing the future of the Crown Estate Commissioners has unequivocally endorsed the submission of Highland and Islands local councils that Crown Estate powers should be devolved to local council and local community levels. Councillor Michael Foxley said: "The report is perfect.
The Highland Council is the latest Scottish local council to sign up to WWF's Earth Hour 2012. At 8.30pm on Saturday 31 March the people of Highland will join millions across the globe in switching off their lights for 60 minutes in a graphic demonstration of support for people and wildlife threatened by climate change.
At a meeting on Wednesday 14 March 2012 of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee, members agreed that if the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency decides to transport fuel material from Dounreay to Sellafield , this should be transported by rail rather than road. The NDA has recently published a paper on the management options for unirridiated plutonium and high enriched uranium bearing fuels which are currently stored at Dounreay.