Week commencing 21st april 2014 Energy & Business Services: The Department for Energy & Climate Change this week announced the eight renewables projects on its revised list of “Final Investment Decision Enabling for Renewables”. This list has been published following a final review of affordability, after an interim list was published in December 2013.
A new Service within The Highland Council is introduced on Monday 28 April, with the creation of the Care and Learning Service, which is a merger of Education Culture & Sport and Health & Social Care. This fulfils the Council's commitment to better integrating education, health and social care services to promote improved outcomes for children, families and communities.
Councils have improved how they manage procurement but they can achieve further benefits and savings, says the Accounts Commission. Every year Scotland's councils spend £5.4 billion (around £1010 for every person) on procurement - buying goods and services they need, ranging from construction materials to IT and social care.
Why should your company enter? The IOP Innovation Awards celebrate companies that make the most of physics. The IOP is one of the largest physical societies in the world, with over 50 000 members spanning all sectors of the economy.
Police in Inverness have been informed of the possibility of an unofficial car cruise event on Saturday 26 April 2014 at the Inverness Retail Park on Eastfield Way. It is advised to members of the public that there may be some congestion in the area and possible delays to those wishing to visit the Inverness Retail Park tomorrow evening.
The Highland Council is this week launching a recruitment drive for 140 extra nursery staff as it prepares to implement an increase in childcare provision from August 2014. As part of the implementation of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, all three and four year olds in Scotland will be entitled to 600 hours per year of early learning and childcare from August.
Government unveils eight major new renewables projects, supporting 8,500 green jobs. SSE welcomes the UK government's announcement that the Beatrice offshore wind farm project has been successful in securing an Investment Contract.
Thousands of young people are jetting abroad in search of adventure amid serious concerns over the state of the British jobs market. Among those aged 18 to 30 going overseas to work, 43 per cent say they are seeking adventure, 21 per cent aspire to work abroad and 36 per cent had simply had enough of Britain.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (April, 23rd) sold 578 sheep of all classes. Lambs (207) averaged £71.98 and sold to £98 gross for a Texel crosses from Balrailan, Duncanston.
From 28th April 2014, The Highland Council’s Recycling Centres will no longer accept waste associated with commercial or trade activities (i.e. work carried out for business or profit) such as household clearances, furniture removals and handyman or gardening services.
A new £11.3 million innovation centre dedicated to helping Scotland capitalise on the growing market in analytics and ‘big data’ technology is set to open later this year. The investment is projected to return a minimum of 345 new jobs and an additional £155 million of value to the Scottish Economy.
Mr Hugh Fraser, the Director of The Highland Council’s Education Culture and Sport Service, has announced his intention to retire later in the year. Mr Fraser, who will be 60 in July, will retire at the end of September after more than 37 years service as a teacher and in education management.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April, 22nd) sold 31 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (27) averaged 211.1p (+1.6p) and sold to 235p per kg and £1,503.80 gross.
Hydrasun, a leading specialist provider of integrated fluid transfer, power and control solutions to the global energy market, is looking to expand its operations with a £3M investment in its specialist manufacturing facility in Aviemore. This is also being supported by a £500,000 development grant from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
DSRL has announced that it will be creating a new civilian guard force at Dounreay. The news comes after discussion between the Department of Energy and Climate Change, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the Office for Nuclear Regulation’s Security department, the CNC and DSRL.
Dounreay’s owners have set out their priorities for decommissioning in a three-year business plan approved by Ministers. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which owns Dounreay and 16 other sites in the UK, has total planned expenditure across its estate for 2014/15 of £3.2 billion.
Homes and businesses in Lerwick on Shetland are set to be Scotland’s first island community to get fibre broadband as part of the £410 million Digital Scotland partnership. Lerwick joins Keith in Moray as the latest areas to be announced as part of the Digital Highlands and Islands project which will deliver fibre broadband to 84% of premises across the region by 2016.
Food and drink businesses across the Highlands and Islands and within the Cairngorms National Park area have just days left before the deadline to enter the region’s largest and most prestigious food and drink industry awards. As the Wednesday, 23 April deadline approaches for entries for this year’s Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards, sponsored by Gordon & MacPhail and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), organisers are calling on the area’s food and drink businesses to make sure they don’t miss the closing date.
Today Sarah Boyack MSP Scottish Labour's Shadow Cabinet Member for Local Government met with Highlands Councillors Deirdre Mackay and Jimmy Gray to discuss how Labour would reverse the centralisation seen under the SNP. Sarah Boyack MSP said "Scottish Labour is committed to more powers for local authorities as part of our ambitions for stronger devolution in Scotland.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (April 16th) sold 1008 store cattle including 158 breeding heifers. Bullocks (407) averaged 243.1p and sold to 306.9p per kg for a 290kg Limousin cross from Auchmore Farm, Muir of Ord, and £1,360 gross for a 520kg Charolais cross from Mains of Clunas, Cawdor.
