From today (Wednesday 13 April) 33,565 postal voting papers are being dispatched to Highland electors that have requested a postal vote. Voters are being reminded to read instructions carefully as they cast their votes for the Scottish Parliamentary election and to return their completed postal packs ideally before polling day.
Highland Council Trading Standards have warned of - rates reduction - firms who are targeting local businesses. The Highland Councils Finance Service raised concerns when they began to receive calls from Highland businesses about receiving unsolicited marketing letters.
In light of recent developments regarding the condition of Edinburgh Schools, the Highland Council confirms that it has no cause for concern about the safety of school buildings in this authority. The Council will also be consulting with its PPP partners to provide further assurance regarding the 14 schools built under the first and second PPP development phases and to respond fully to the letter received from the Scottish Government.
OVERNIGHT ROAD CLOSURE FOR A9 CROMARTY BRIDGE. MOVED FROM SATURDAY TO SUNDAY 10 APRIL 2016, 5AM - 10AM.
Digital Tourism Scotland (DTS) is a £1.2M programme to help tourism businesses across Scotland improve their digital skills and capitalise on the business opportunities that new digital technology offers. Running until June 2018, the programme will signpost businesses to existing digital support and provide access to new tourism specific support.
The - report it - campaign is a new initiative by The Highland Councils Corporate Fraud Team which is asking residents to help them tackle fraud. The Fraud Team, which is situated in the Finance Service, was established in August 2015 to detect, investigate and prevent all frauds against the Council, including housing tenancy fraud (the use of Council housing by someone not entitled to occupy that home).
The new £15.4million Noss Primary School has reached a vital milestone with the practical completion of the facility. Replacing the existing North and Hillhead Primary Schools in Wick, work on the 4,620 sq m facility commenced in late 2014 and has been delivered by hub North Scotland on behalf of The Highland Council.
A total of 13 candidates are seeking election on Thursday 5 May 2016 in the three Scottish Parliamentary local constituencies for Highland. Caithness, Sutherland and Ross constituency has attracted 4 candidates; Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency, 5 candidates; and Inverness and Nairn constituency, 4 candidates.
Dr Diego Del Villar of the Environmental Research Institute is delighted to invite you to an open talk entitled "The Wick Smolt Tracking Project". The talk will be on Thursday the 7th of April 2016 at 19:30 in the Pulteneytown People's Project, Wick, KW1 5BA.
DINGWALL, Dingwall andHighland Marts Ltd., (March, 30th) sold 1,006 store cattle. Bullocks (641) averaged 220.7p and sold to 280.5p per kg for a pen of 246kg Charolais crosses from Greenvale, Dunnet, and £1,310 gross for the overall champion, a 585kg Charolais cross from The Cloy, Fortrose.
The European Investment Bank has agreed to provide GBP 500 million to support a major reinforcement of the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland to improve connections between wind, wave and tidal renewable energy schemes and the national power network. The new power link will help secure the supply of electricity in the Highlands and beyond for generations to come and once operational the new transmission link will supply equivalent electricity to meet the needs of around 2 million Scottish residents.
A new agreement has been reached to use Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) stations across the Highlands and Islands as Communication Hubs during emergencies. Fire stations across Highland, Shetland, Orkney and Western Isles will allow multi-agency partners to set-up bases for the community and responders in these areas, particularly during power and communication outages.
New waste and recycling collection calendars for 2016-2018 are now available on The Highland Council's website and at Service Points. The calendars can be downloaded and printed out from www.highland.gov.uk/bindays Type in your street address and the appropriate calendar will appear.
A new report has revealed that 67.6% of full-time students successfully completed their studies at Highlands and Islands colleges in the 2014 to 2015 academic year. This is higher than the national average figure which shows that 64% of students passed further education courses at Scottish colleges in the period.
Last Update Before the Election - Next one 6 May 2016. Energy & Business Services: CNSRP partner representatives were in Aberdeen earlier this week to take part in an Influencers' event coordinated by the Scottish Council for Development & Industry (SCDI).
UNISON is calling on all political parties to commit to a balanced workforce in Scottish policing in their 2016 election manifestos. The present policy of centralisation to cut £1.1bn from the justice budget by 2026 and to maintain an arbitrary politically set target of 17,234 police officers is proving disastrous.
The Highland Council has congratulated Divisional Commander of the Highlands and Islands, Julian Innes on his retiral and thanked him for his service at his last Committee meeting on 23 March 2016. Chair of the Communities and Partnerships Committee, Cllr Hamish Fraser said: Chief Superintendent Innes has made a huge contribution to the safety of our communities.
Dounreay held its annual supply chain event this week in the Merlin Cinema, Thurso, with suppliers attending from all over the UK. The site spent a total of £121 million on 306 contracts in 2014/15; with 102 contracts let for more than £50,000 and 5117 transactional purchases made for less than £3,000.
Highland Council has unanimously agreed to undertake a complete redesign of the council over the coming months. Following difficult budget decisions on 25 February, there will be significant reductions in staff and service budgets which will take effect from the end of this month.
Over the next three years £28 million will be invested into critical care services at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, after the Scottish Government approved the full business case submitted by NHS Highland earlier this month (March). The Critical Care Upgrade will bring all critical care services, which includes the Acute Medical Assessment Unit, the Intensive Care Unit, Surgical High Dependency Unit, theatre and the admissions area, into one area over two floors.
