Economic growth resilient despite challenges. The Scottish economy has seen its longest period of uninterrupted growth since 2001.
Scotland's Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead has today launched a consultation on creating a more circular economy in Scotland - where products and materials are kept in high value use for as long as possible. The consultation, which will run until the 30th October 2015, is the first step in preparing a circular economy strategy for Scotland - targeting significant potential benefits for the economy, through using resources more efficiently, creating new markets and improving resilience; for the environment, through cutting waste and carbon emissions; and for communities, with lower cost ways to access the goods we need.
National Records of Scotland (NRS) today publishes Scotland's Population 2014 - the Registrar General's Annual Review of Demographic Trends. Tim Ellis, the Registrar General of Scotland, said: ‘This is a time of substantial demographic change: the population is increasing and ageing.
Cash for landlords to tackle fuel poverty in poorer homes. Almost 2,000 of Scotland's poorest households will benefit from a £5 million fund to make their homes cheaper to keep warm, Housing Minister Margaret Burgess said today.
20 projects receive funding to create world class learning spaces. Twenty projects across 19 local authorities have received funding to improve areas for learning in schools it was announced today by the Education Secretary.
Members of The Highland Council's Community Services Committee have considered a benchmarking exercise on the Council’s existing winter maintenance service which provided a comparison to six other neighbouring Scottish local authorities. The benchmarking exercise was undertaken on the Council’s current winter maintenance policy for the financial year 2015/16 which was approved by the Council in December 2014.
Highland Council welcomes the announcement today by the First Minister that 5 local schools are going to receive additional funding as part of the Attainment Scotland Fund. This second phase of the national initiative involves 57 schools across Scotland, and the five in Highland are - Merkinch and Bishop Eden (Inverness), Coulhill and Milton (East Ross) and South Wick (Caithness).
A by-election to elect a councillor to serve the Aird and Loch Ness (Ward 13) of The Highland Council will be held on Thursday 8 October 2015. One councillor will be elected following the resignation of Councillor Drew Hendry after he was elected as an MP for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Constituency at the recent UK Parliamentary General Election.
The Highland Licensing Board met last week to consider their response to the call for evidence on the UK and Scottish Governments' proposals on the devolution of powers relating to Fixed-Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs). The Board unanimously endorsed proposals for the Scottish Government to be given powers to regulate fixed odds betting machines which are currently controlled by the UK Government.
The Highland Council is writing to residents and businesses in the city centre to advise them that they have awarded a £262k contract to Coffey Construction Ltd to carry out improvements to the Young Street / Huntly Street road junction, Inverness. The letter explains that the proposed works will tie together the streetscaping of Ness Walk and Huntly Street across Ness Bridge, where a new Toucan crossing will be installed to provide safe, easy access across the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists.
Highland Council residents can now apply for Council Tax discounts and exemptions and report change of circumstances online with the launch of new online forms on the Council's website. The new forms allow customers to complete online rather than by paper when applying for council tax discounts/exemptions and to report changes that may impact on their council tax, housing benefit or council tax reduction.
Statement from the Electoral Reform Society. To read the full report [1] and a briefing with all the report's findings, see the link in the notes [2] The Electoral Reform Society will release a major new report on the House of Lords this Sunday - the first piece of research on Britain's upper chamber since the General Election.
The PFR stone table with the inscription 'Out of Caithness to the World' will become the centre piece of the NDA Archive when it opens its doors in 2017. Construction of the new facility has begun at Wick and was officially opened by David Flear, Dounreay Stakeholder Group chairman, when he cut the first turf at an opening ceremony in August.
Week Commencing 10th August 2015 Tourism, Food & Drink There has been further excellent media coverage this week of the North Coast 500 route following triple cycling world record holder Mark Beaumont's amazing non-stop circumnavigation of the route. We watched him flash past us in Thurso on Tuesday morning on his way to completing the journey in 38 hours! As recently reported the route has been voted one of the world's top six tourist drives.
The Highland Licensing Board is advising people who have had their personal licences revoked that rules have changed and they may now be able to reapply. Since December 2014 The Highland Licensing Board has had to revoke a number of personal licences where the licence holder failed to comply with the mandatory refresher training requirements.
LEADER of The Highland Council, Margaret Davidson met with Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabularys in Scotland (MHICS), Mr Derek Penman, today to discuss the Inverness Police Control Room. She said: "I would like to thank Mr Penman for taking time to come to Inverness and listen to the concerns of the Highland Council.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (August, 12th) sold 12,971 store lambs at their annual district sale to average £50.31 (- £4.11 on the year). Cheviot wedder lambs (5,865) averaged £48.33 (-£4.00) and sold to £58.00 gross from Heatherlea, Ardgay.
Tuesday 11th August saw local group No Limits Caithness visit the Museum for a morning packed with Viking activities with Curator Joanne Howdle, or Thordis Eiríksdóttir as she is fondly known to local groups and schools. The group helped the Museum to hit the half million visitors mark and to celebrate they were presented with a special cake made in the Museum's cafe.
New locations announced as three million UK superfast broadband milestone is reached. More than 10,000 homes and businesses in Caithness can now access next generation fibre broadband through the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) roll-out.
The Highland Council is introducing further new materials to the blue bin recycling service at the end of August. Following on from the recent introduction of aerosols, envelopes and cardboard food and drink cartons, from Monday 31st August residents will also be able to recycle plastic pots, tubs and trays.
