www.sruc.ac.uk/news Plant pathologists from Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) are warning Scottish farmers that there is an almost unprecedented disease risk to spring barley this year after the heavy rains last season. After finding that in some regions nearly 50% of the seeds are infected with at least one strain of fungal disease they are stressing that farmers in all regions should get their seeds tested and treated to minimise the risk.
In recognising that tourism is the Highland’s biggest industry, members of the Council’s Planning Environment and Development Committee today agreed funding to VisitScotland of up to £270k in 2013/14. They also agreed that a further £80,000 be used to both deliver services directly by the Council’s tourism team and to provide discretionary funding to business or community groups undertaking tourism projects.
Highland Councillors have agreed a further enhancement of the model for the integration of health and care services across the authority. This involves the organisation of Allied Health Professional Services and Community Learning Disability Nurses, as well as some changes to the performance frameworks for both adult and children’s services.
With up to 45 minute delays at the Kessock Bridge North Drivers should consiider getting tyhe train at the recenly opened station at Conon and leave the car there to pick it up on returning north and avoid two trip sover the bridge to help ease conjestion. ScotRail today revealed figures showing a major increase in passengers using stations north of Inverness during the first month of the £18million Kessock Bridge refurbishment programme.
From 6 April 2013 employers will have to start reporting PAYE information to HMRC in real time. You may see this referred to as Real Time Information - or RTI.
Wick's DE shop under threat after the chain's bosses put most of their Scottish stores up for sale, recently. A total of 10 jobs are on the line taking the Wick and Thurso branches together.
A Caithness IT company is creating new jobs in the North of Scotland as it relocates to a new office in Thurso town centre. Escape Group is to move from the Janetstown Industrial Estate where it has been operating for three years.
Leader explains Council job statistics. The Leader of The Highland Council Councillor Drew Hendry is to write to the GMB trade union to tell them they have got the wrong end of the stick over job statistics.
Miller Construction is extending an invitation to subcontractors and suppliers based in the Caithness and Sutherland area to a Meet the Buyer event to find out more about future opportunities for local businesses in the area. As a Tier 1 contractor with hub North Scotland Limited, Miller Construction is preferred bidder on a £50m pipeline of work to be delivered over the next three years in Wick and Tain and is seeking suitable local partners to deliver these projects and others when they arise.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (March, 13th) sold 2,668 sheep of all classes. Lambs (1,632) averaged £46.85 and sold to £84 gross for Texel crosses from North Calder, Halkirk.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 12th) sold 79 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (47) averaged 218.2p (+3.5p) and sold to 228p per kg and £1,665.00 gross.
Police in the Highlands and Islands took part in a national ACPOS led campaign over the weekend 8 March to 11 March to highlight the dangers which exist on country roads. A total of 120 drivers were caught speeding.
By-election - Ward 4 (Landward Caithness) Candidates wishing to stand at the by-election being held in The Highland Council’s Ward 4 – Landward Caithness – have until 4 pm on Thursday 28 March to complete their nomination. The by-election is being held on Thursday 2 May to find a successor to Councillor Robert Coghill (Independent) who, following medical advice, stepped down at the end of February.
Week Commencing 4th March 2013 Energy: Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) is currently consulting on the planning application to build new overhead lines from Dounreay to Spittal; from Spittal to Mybster; and for a new substation 3.5km south of Thurso. Information on the proposals can be found at http://www.sse.com/DounreayMybster/ProjectInformation/ and the full Environmental Statement is also available to view at the Highland Council Service Points in Rotterdam Street, Thurso and Girnigoe Street, Wick.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts (March, 9th) sold 25 cattle, 8 horses, 9 goats, 79 sheep, 512 lots of poultry, eggs and poultry equipment at their poultry, rare & traditional breeds of livestock sale. Cattle (25) sold to £1320 gross twice for two in calf Highland cross cows from 46 Blairmore, Rogart.
Responding to Scottish Government statistics showing a rise in the number of new homes started in the year to September 20121, industry body Homes for Scotland today described the news as encouraging but cautioned that the figures indicated the annual build rate would remain at its lowest level since the end of the Second World War. Chief Executive Philip Hogg said:“Any positive news is clearly welcome but the situation remains, as the Housing Minister herself correctly recognizes, very challenging.
The Highland Council has this week received £3.8 million of funding from the Scottish Government towards new affordable housing. This is part of a £40 million distribution of funding to local councils in Scotland for new social homes.
Norscot the Bower based window and door manufacturer has got of to a flying start in 2013. During the first two months of the year the company has won a clutch of contracts worth more than £1 million.
Council targets Sutherland and Inverness-shire holiday homes avoiding waste collection services payment. In February this year The Highland Council wrote to the owners of around 600 non-domestic rated (NDR) holiday home properties in all the Inverness and Sutherland areas advising them of their legal obligations under the Environmental Protection Act and associated Duty of Care Regulations to have in place a waste collection contract for dealing with the waste generated from their businesses.
A programme which brings fresh thinking and new talent to businesses in the Highlands and Islands is celebrating a milestone by delivering its 100th graduate placement. 24 year old Linguistics graduate Ruth Cape is working with trail-blazing membership organisation Community Land Scotland in Tarbert on the Isle of Harris.
