Progress was welcomed today by members of The Highland Council's Adult and Children's Service's Committee on a number of several major education capital projects. Approval to bring forward the fourth and final phase of the redevelopment of Lochaber High School was given by members.
Highland Council and E.ON write to home owners about energy savings. The Highland Council and partners E.ON are writing to people to offer energy saving improvements that will help save energy and money in their homes.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (November, 13th) sold 164 weaned calves and store cattle and 68 adult head of breeding cattle. Stot calves (57) averaged 237.5p and sold to 279.2 per kilo for a pair of 308kg Charolais crosses from Tacher, Latheron and £940 gross for a 395kg Limousin cross also from Tacher.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (November, 14th) sold 2,428 store sheep. Lambs (1,372) averaged £46.58 and sold to £84 gross for Beltex lambs from Aberchalder Estate, Gorthleck.
Minister raises concerns on UK Government’s reform of the electricity market. In a statement to Parliament today, Scotland’s Energy Minister, Fergus Ewing said that the UK Government’s Electricity Market Reform process is at risk of failing Scotland, and raised specific concerns about the UK Government plans to restrict Scotland’s powers over the Renewables Obligation.
Historic Parliament vote endorses independence choice. The Bill to allow the people of Scotland to choose whether Scotland should be an independent country has been passed by Holyrood.
Highlands and Islands Labour MSPs, David Stewart and Rhoda Grant, have written to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service calling on them to retain the Inverness fire control room. The call comes following the proposal, detailed in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Strategic Intent document, to reduce the number of fire control rooms in Scotland from eight to three.
Members of the Highland Licensing Board have unanimously agreed to adopt a policy which will presume against the grant of future off-sales licences on premises with an alcohol display area of greater than 40 square metres. All existing premises will retain their licences and the policy will apply to all new applications seeking an alcohol sales area of more than 40 square metres.
New control measures being introduced. The programme to eradicate Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) and save the Scottish cattle industry up to £80 million is moving into its next phase.
Work gets under way on Monday (18 November) on a £ 1.75 million project to upgrade the A890 Strathcarron-Balnacra Road. The Highland Council has attracted funding of £250,000 from the European Regional Development Fund to assist with funding of the widening of the road to two-lane carriageway for some 2 km immediately to the east of the Strathcarron Junction where the road is narrow, with an undulating profile due to underlying peat and is of a very poor standard.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (November, 12th) sold 43 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (9) averaged 232.6p (+1.4p) and sold to 237p per kg and £1,684.80 gross.
A new collaborative centre, designed to host research and education and attract investment and jobs to the Highlands and Islands, is moving one step closer today with the shortlisting of architectural design companies. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the University of the Highlands and Islands are proposing to build shared premises at Inverness Campus, the 215-acre site which HIE is developing as a location for business, learning and community activities in the east of the city of Inverness.
More than 100 delegates attended a conference at Inverness on Friday 8th November 2013 organised by The Highland Council to launch Carbon CLEVER Highlands – an ambitious project that has a target of a carbon neutral Inverness in a low carbon Highlands by 2025. In urging delegates to play their part in committing time and funding towards the campaign, Council Leader Drew Hendry revealed Council plans to make Inverness a cycle city by creating a network of high quality cycle lanes across Inverness.
Week Commencing 4th November 2013 Energy/ Business Services: I met this week with colleagues from HIE and NDA as we discussed with a local business its exciting growth plans. As part of our ongoing focus on key projects it was good to be able to offer a joined-up approach to potential support, and I look forward to helping bring the project forward over the coming months.
Residents are invited to a public Information Day at Caithness Horizons, Thurso, on Monday 18 November from 4pm - 7pm to hear the latest news on the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters wave and tidal energy projects. The projects are among the first commercial-scale marine renewable energy schemes in the world and are located within the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Park.
LOCHMADDY, Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd., (November, 8th) sold 38 weaned calves and store cattle, 11 adult head of breeding cattle and 10 OTM cattle. Bullocks (25) averaged 246.7p and sold to 298.2p per kg and £850 gross for a pair of 285kg Limousin crosses from 4A Machair, Illeray.
Rural Affairs Secretary slams ‘disgraceful’ settlement imposed by UK Government. Scottish farmers will be deprived of hundreds of millions of euros in European subsidies that is rightfully theirs following today’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) budget announcement by the UK Government.
New methods of recruiting health board members will increase public participation in the health service across Scotland, Health Secretary Alex Neil announced today. The moves come after pilot projects found that adapting recruitment methods and taking a more proactive approach to advertising were the best ways to broaden the spectrum of applicants who apply to become health board members.
Highlands and Islands (Scottish Labour) MSP David Stewart has congratulated Thurso cinema on receiving a highly commended award at the “Screen International Awards” held in London last Wednesday evening which saw the Ormlie Road venue receive an award in the exhibitor of the year category for cinemas with 50 screens or under. The Thurso cinema, which opened in July 2012, has been extremely successful since opening its doors to the public, welcoming around 65,000 customers in its first year alone.
Scottish tourism businesses, community groups and social enterprises are being encouraged to tap into ancestral tourism opportunities. A series of Ancestral Tourism workshops are being held across Scotland throughout November in the run up to 2014, when Scotland welcomes the world for Homecoming, the Ryder Cup and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
