DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (June, 12th) sold 270 store cattle & 7 adult head of breeding cattle. Bullocks (128) averaged 211.1p and sold to 254.6p per kg for a 220kg Limousin cross from Achentoul, Kinbrace, and £1,360 gross for a 590kg Limousin cross from Balblair, Croy.
Energy/ Business Services: The Highland Council’s North Planning Applications Committee will next week consider a report on the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd’s application to Marine Scotland to build at a site in the Moray Firth. Members of the committee will be asked to endorse the recommendation that the Council raises no objection to the development, subject to a number of conditions, including one ensuring that the developer continues dialogue with supply chain and ports, specifically mentioning Wick harbour as a potential operation and maintenance base.
Following yesterdays (11th June) sitting of the Justice Committee, SNP MSPs damaged access to justice, local jobs and businesses by voting to close local courts in, Dingwall Dornoch and Rothesay and others across Scotland. Business from Dingwall and Dornoch will be transferred to Inverness and Tain Sheriff Courts by 2015.
Local shops and businesses across Highland are being encouraged to take advantage of a new retailing opportunity – bagged wood pellets for domestic biomass heating systems. The Highland Council is hosting an event in Inverness on Thursday 20 June to encourage an increase in the supply of domestic biomass fuel across the area.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (June, 11th) sold 511 sheep of all classes. Lambs (60) sold to £72 gross for Cheviots from Eilean Darrach, Dundonnell.
International business services provider, Arise, is holding a series of recruitment advice sessions in Caithness and Sutherland to find local people interested in working from home. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has been working closely with the US company who now have a significant presence in the UK with offices in London and Edinburgh.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (June, 8th) had 23 tractors, loadalls and plant machinery, 787 implements, 37 ATVs, motorcycles and lawnmowers, 8 motors vehicles, and 589 small tools forward. Leading prices: Loadalls/tractors: Zetor 8441 tractor, £13,000; Massey Ferguson 390T tractor, £11,000; Fiatagri 80/90, £3,000.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has appointed four construction firms to its new prime contractor framework to deliver the majority of its building projects across the region. In the agreement which will last up to four years, Galliford Try Construction Ltd (trading as Morrison Construction in Scotland), Kier Construction Ltd, Mansell Construction Services Limited, and Robertson Construction Group Limited will work on projects estimated to be worth around £6 million per year.
The world’s deepest nuclear clean-up job has been given the green light by the planning authorities. A processing agreement has been made between the Highland Council and Dounreay, with planning permission in principle granted to Dounreay for the construction of plants to remotely retrieve, package and store the intermediate level waste from the shaft and silo.
The Highland Council’s Leader Councillor Drew Hendry says the Highlands is bucking the trend of declining house building in Scotland, with a very encouraging delivery of new homes throughout the region. Councillor Hendry was speaking in the wake of reports that the building of new homes in Scotland has hit a 65-year low caused by the recession in the construction industry over the past few years.
Week commencing 6th June 2013 Energy/ Business Services: Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd, the partnership behind the planned offshore windfarm in the Moray Firth near the coast of Caithness and East Sutherland, has added some further data to its application to Marine Scotland for consent to build its development. If consented this could see up to 277 turbines sites in the Moray Firth, the closest of which would be around 8 miles from Wick.
As part of the planned installation work on the pedestrian and cycle bridge at the Inverness Campus, the north and southbound slip roads on the A9 at the Raigmore Interchange will be closed with traffic diversions put in place from 1900 on Saturday 15th June to 0700 on Sunday June 16. Northbound traffic traveling into Inverness or to the A96 will be diverted off the A9 at Inshes Junction, Sir Walter Scott Drive.
The Highland Council is sponsoring the Community Land Scotland Conference to be held at Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Sleat, Skye, on Friday and Saturday (7 and 8 June). The keynote conference address will be delivered by the First Minister Alex Salmond, MSP.
The introduction of the “bedroom tax” has resulted in an increase in arrears and the level of debt of tenants affected. Members of The Highland Council’s Finance Housing and Resources Committee were told that the number of tenants affected by the “bedroom tax” and in arrears had risen from 724 before it was introduced on 1 April to 1,144 on 18 May and the total of arrears had risen from £173,491 to £197,795 in the same period.
Highland Councillors are leading the way in Scotland in introducing a scheme which will help reverse the decline in apprenticeships. Members of the Finance Housing and Resources Committee have agreed to contribute £30,000 towards the establishment of a new company which will create a pool of construction apprentices, who will work with multiple contractors over the duration of their apprenticeships.
There are now just a few days remaining to book a place at our Networking and Meet the Buyer events, held in partnership with SSE. These events are a great way to make contacts with and hear all the latest information from SSE Procurement, SSE Transmission, SSE Renewables, Achilles and SSE's Tier 1 contractors.
The Highlands and Islands have an incredible history of shaping healthcare services right across the UK. A new series of talks will explore this while looking at current and future innovations being developed in Inverness and around the world.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (June, 4th) sold 56 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (37) averaged 236.2p (+1.7p) and sold to 252p per kg and £1,654.30 gross.
A free event in Inverness on Thursday 27 June is aiming to help local businesses in the Highlands make the most of new contracting opportunities arising from the new Energy Companies Obligation (ECO). The event will give firms opportunities to speak directly with energy suppliers and also hear an overview of current government funded schemes to support and improve energy efficiency.
North MSP concerned about frustration caused by slow moving farm vehicles to other road users. Highlands & Islands (Labour) MSP and road safety campaigner David Stewart has called for more action with regards to frustration caused to other road users by slow moving farm vehicles.
