Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has given a connectivity boost to homes and businesses in Argyll and Moray by announcing that it will be bringing fibre optic broadband to the area this summer. The upgrade will come as a result of a collaborative scheme that has seen HIE join forces with service provider BT and invest a total of £146 million to roll out the superfast service all over the region.
Detailed plans for a new Primary School north of the river in Wick were given the go ahead today (Tuesday 14 January 2014) by The Highland Council’s North Planning Applications Committee. The new school will be built on part of the existing playing fields serving the existing North Primary School on Girnigoe Street and will replace North Primary School and Hillhead Primary School.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (January, 14th) sold 63 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (18) averaged 226.0p (-3.3p) and sold to 240p per kg and £1,657.60 gross.
Local food and drink producers and retailers in Caithness and Sutherland are being invited to two events in Thurso and Dornoch to explore and discuss future opportunities for closer collaboration. The events, which will both be held on Tuesday 21 January, are part of a series of local meetings taking place across the Highlands organised by the Think Local project which aims to facilitate constructive discussion about forging closer partnerships in the local food and drink sector.
The Leader of The Highland Council Councillor Drew Hendry has welcomed the progress being made by the Scottish Government to upgrade the Berriedale Braes, Caithness. Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown has advised Councillor Hendry that public consultation on the preferred alignment is scheduled to take place soon and he hopes to publish the trunk road orders by the summer of this year, allowing construction to commence just as soon as funding becomes available.
Week Commencing 6 Januatry 2014 Energy & Business Services: I met today (Friday) with representatives from Financial & Business Services teams in HIE and Scottish Development International to discuss opportunities to attract new business to this area. We have companies in the north providing excellent business process operations (eg Escape Technologies, Aon Hewitt, BT, the Dental Plan) and we discussed forthcoming plans to raise awareness of our area’s skills in national and international markets.
A scheme to provide heat and power to homes in Wick has landed The Highland Council with a final bill of £11.5 million. Caithness Heat and Power was set up as an arm’s length company by the council in 2004 but ran into major problems and had to be taken back into council ownership four years later.
Following intensive inquiries three youths, aged 14, 14 and 15 years are to be reported to the Reporter to the Children's Panel following break-ins at the Highland Council yards at River Street, Wick and Albert Street, Wick and also JMS Express, Wick. The youths are also to be reported in relation to damage at Wick High School over the festive period.
People have until 5pm next Thursday (16 January) to feedback their comments on The Highland Council’s draft updated Dounreay Planning Framework which lays out policy to deal with future land use and site restoration plans for at the former nuclear power research site at Dounreay, near Thurso in Caithness. The Highland Council approved the existing Dounreay Planning Framework in January 2006, as a land use development brief against which to regulate and control future decommissioning and restoration works proposed at the former nuclear power research site at Dounreay.
£3.5 million for training to grow workforce. A package of support to equip the childcare workforce to grow by around 2000 jobs and ensure high quality care of children has been announced today by the Finance Secretary John Swinney.
As the nuclear renaissance gathers pace, the NDA has again joined with other public bodies to open up opportunities for UK businesses, offering a total of up to £13 million investment for new technologies covering new build, current operations and decommissioning. The collaboration between the UK innovation agency the Technology Strategy Board, the NDA and the Department of Energy and Climate Change is aimed at helping UK-based businesses take advantage of the opportunities arising following the recent agreement on Hinkley Point C, the first nuclear power station to be built in the UK for almost 20 years.
As part of ongoing administrative changes to Highland Council services in Wick, as of this week beginning Monday 6 January 2014, Education Service staff are no longer based within Rhind House, Wick. Any enquiries relating to Education Service matters should be directed to the Council Offices, Shared Business Support Team at Girnigoe Street, Wick phone 01349 886606.
DSRL will be holding a supply chain briefing to give an update on future procurement opportunities at Dounreay. This event will be held on Wednesday February 12, 2014 in The Weigh Inn Hotel, Thurso, starting at 14:00 hours.
This stark warning has been issued by North Scottish Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant ahead of planned court closures across the region. Mrs Grant, who campaigned vigorously against the closures last year as part of the Scottish Labour Party's 'Keep Justice Local' campaign is concerned that as the court closures take hold, the increases in business will stretch court capacity to its limits.
The creation of the most northerly distillery on mainland Britain is moving forward as work is due to begin at Dunnet in Caithness. Dunnet Bay Distillers Ltd are building a new micro gin distillery, using botanicals which will showcase and promote the heritage and provenance of Caithness and the Highlands.
Highland and Islands Police report an increase in drink drivers following the final week of national campaign. Police in the Highlands and Islands are reporting an increase in the number of people detected drink driving during the 2013 festive drink drive campaign compared to the 2012 campaign.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (January, 7th) sold 52 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (23) averaged 229.3p (-7.7p) and sold to 240p per kg and £1,650.00 gross.
£1 million to support teacher learning. Over £1 million has been made available to help teachers in Scotland move smoothly from lecture halls into the classroom.
Advice to avoid close contact with animals giving birth. Pregnant women should avoid close contact with animals that are giving birth according to Chief Medical Officer Sir Harry Burns.
Rural Affairs Secretary looks ahead to 2014. “2014 will be a truly momentous year for Scottish farming and our nation.
