Glasgow City Council has taken a dramatic step in its long-running equal-pay dispute, giving notice that it intends to end existing pay arrangements for its non-teaching workforce unless an agreement can be reached with the trade unions. Around 23,000 employees are affected.
The Highland Council’s Justice Social Work teams in Lochaber and Caithness will be hosting open days in Fort William on Tuesday 6 October and Wick on Friday 9 October 2026. The open days will provide members of the public with an opportunity to gain an insight into the Justice Service and find out more about the excellent work going on locally.
Rising energy prices are a problem for households and businesses, but there is another very large energy bill that receives much less attention. Highland Council operates one of the largest public-sector property estates in Scotland, while NHS Highland runs hospitals, health centres, clinics and other facilities across an enormous geographical area.
NHS Highland and The Highland Council are pleased to announce the launch of a new bespoke year-round transport service for renal haemodialysis patients across Highland. Funded through a grant from NHS Highland, the service marks the first phase of a new approach to patient transport delivery, designed to support the long-term development of a more sustainable, flexible and community-focused transport model for Highland.
Members of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee will meet next Monday (28 September 2026) to consider whether to progress proposals for new Short Term Let Control Areas across parts of Highland. At the special meeting, councillors will be asked to consider the findings of a public consultation on proposed control areas covering Inverness City and a wider Highland Rural area, before deciding whether the proposals should be submitted to Scottish Ministers for approval.
The Scottish Government is proposing a major reshaping of local government, with fewer regional authorities and many more community-level bodies making decisions closer to where people live. The language is about local democracy, stronger communities and bringing decisions closer to people.
Initial proposals designed to deliver fundamental reform of local governance have been set out to help shape the debate on improving public services. The possible changes, if implemented, could help achieve a better balance of decision-making powers across the public sector to ensure investment is focused on delivering improved services.
Council tax is one of those bills that most households know only too well. It arrives every month or in a series of instalments, and it helps pay for services ranging from rubbish collection and roads to schools, social care and other council services.
Something important is happening in Scotland's public services, and it goes considerably further than another round of annual budget cuts. The Scottish Government is now talking about changing the way public services themselves are organised.
Highland Council is planning to spend around £2.1 billion over 20 years on schools, roads, housing, community facilities and other infrastructure. It is an ambitious programme, and one which could bring considerable benefits across the Highlands.
Secondary schools and employers across the Highlands are coming together through a new partnership programme designed to connect classroom learning with future career opportunities and help develop the Highlands future workforce. Industry Connect Highland, developed through My Highland Future and Workforce North, will run throughout the 2026/27 academic year with an initial focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Communities, businesses and residents are being given extra time to share ideas that will influence future development and land use across Highland. The Highland Council has an open Call for Ideas survey, which is inviting people to share ideas on future development and long-term land use in Highland.
Caithness has had a busy week, although the individual stories might not initially appear to have much in common. Look a little more closely, however, and a pattern begins to emerge.
The Highland Council has welcomed an increase of £750,000 of funding from the SSE Renewables Highland Sustainable Development Fund to support private householders experiencing extreme fuel poverty in Highland. The two-year grant will support the delivery of the Council’s Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme (EES:ABS), funded by The Scottish Government, which funds energy efficiency home improvements that can help lower fuel costs and improve living conditions for Highland residents.
Following the close of nominations on Monday 7 September noon, the statements of persons nominated for each community council have been published on the council’s website. Now able to confirm that out of 20 Community Councils seeking membership, 15 have formed, 4 have not formed and 1 may require an election as they exceed the number of available vacancies.
There are few subjects more important to parents than the education their children receive. It determines not only what they know when they leave school, but increasingly their opportunities throughout adult life.
Highland councillors are set to reaffirm their opposition to a massive new 400kV powerline stretching across the region when they meet today. The North and South Planning Committees are joining forces to consider the proposed Spittal–Loch Buidhe–Beauly transmission project, one of the biggest electricity infrastructure schemes ever proposed in the Highlands.
The Scottish Government is facing a difficult financial year. But the real question for councils, NHS boards and other public bodies is simple who will absorb the pressure? The latest Scottish Fiscal Commission report contains an important warning for Scotland's public services.
All residents, businesses, community groups and visitors are being encouraged to have their say on a proposal for a tiered fixed-rate amount Visitor Levy in Highland. The public consultation survey is now open (Monday 7 September) for a 12-week statutory period.
£2.1 billion is a difficult number for most people to comprehend. It is so large that it can make almost any announcement sound impressive.