BT today announced a major expansion of super-fast broadband in Scotland, including a fibre upgrade for Inverness. The high-speed technology will become available to another 150,400 Scottish homes and businesses - including 18,200 in the Highland Capital - by Spring 2013.
The Highland Council is the latest Scottish local council to sign up to WWF's Earth Hour 2012. At 8.30pm on Saturday 31 March the people of Highland will join millions across the globe in switching off their lights for 60 minutes in a graphic demonstration of support for people and wildlife threatened by climate change.
About the Energy Saving Scotland advice centre Highlands and Islands The Energy Saving Scotland advice centre Highlands and Islands is funded by the Scottish Government and provides free, impartial advice and support in Highland on all matters relating to energy efficiency. Householders Householders can call the advice centre for free, impartial advice to enable them to reduce their fuel bills and carbon footprint.
Scottish Affairs Committee says the only way to address problems is to end CEC's responsibility in key areas, and devolve these to local level. In a report published today, Monday 19 March 2012, the Scottish Affairs Committee says the Secretary of State for Scotland should announce the Government's commitment to devolve and decentralise the Crown Estate Commissioner's (CEC) marine and ancient rights and responsibilities in Scotland.
The Chairman of the community body that owns and operates Gills Harbour, on the shores of the Pentland Firth's Inner Sound, is welcoming the findings of a group of Parliamentarians whose Inquiry report 'The Future of Marine Renewables in the UK' has just been published. The Westminster MPs of the Energy & Climate Change Committee looked at the future for electricity that can be generated by harnessing the 'kinetic energy' in flow of Britain's tidal streams and from the power of the waves; both technologies are experimenting with turbines that are still at the 'prototype' stage.
At a meeting on Wednesday 14 March 2012 of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee, members agreed that if the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency decides to transport fuel material from Dounreay to Sellafield , this should be transported by rail rather than road. The NDA has recently published a paper on the management options for unirridiated plutonium and high enriched uranium bearing fuels which are currently stored at Dounreay.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (March, 14th) sold 2,673 sheep of all classes. Lambs (1,401) averaged £66.76 and sold to £97 gross for Cheviots from The Willows, Elphin.
The Highland Council's Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee has agreed a formula for spending an extra £2 million in the new financial year commencing on 1 April on road maintenance, including filling pot holes and drainage projects. The spending supplements the £15.2 million already being spent by the Council on road maintenance and £5 million on winter maintenance.
The Highland Council is to make a robust response to the Scottish Government's Review of Scottish Ferry Services, highlighting the huge importance to rural and island communities of lifeline ferry services. Councillors said ferries are as important to the Highlands as the Forth Road Bridge is to Edinburgh and the East of Scotland and is the economic bedrock of many communities.
The economy of Caithness & North Sutherland is well-placed to benefit from new opportunities, as it decreases its dependence on work at Dounreay. In an address to Caithness business leaders this week, Enterprise Minister Fergus Ewing praised the work of the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership for making a significant contribution to securing new opportunities, investment and jobs to the area.
EnergyHunt, the North of Scotland's premier renewable energy engineering company, is celebrating after achieving a crucial Det Norske Veritas (DNV) industry accreditation The company, based in Caithness, is the first renewable energy business in the North of Scotland to have achieved the award from DNV (, one of the world's leading certification bodies, following an exhaustive audit of its Quality, Health, Safety and Environmental business and management systems. It is now certificated to UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) standards.
WHAT IS EARTH HOUR ALL ABOUT? WWF's Earth Hour is a simple idea that's quickly turned into a global phenomenon. Hundreds of millions of people turning off their lights for one hour, on the same night, all across the planet.
Hopeful candidates for the council elections can get moving from today. The notice of election is being published later and nomination papers have to be returned by 4pm on Thursday 29 March 2012 There arer 22 wards in the Highland council area.
Week commencing 5th March Energy: Encouraging news this week that North Highland College has been successful in attracting additional funds for its efforts to support employment opportunities. Four programmes were offered a total of approx.
There will be a consultation event at Highland Council Chamber, Glenurquart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX on Wednesday 14th March between 3.30pm and 5.30pm The Office of Fair Trading wants to hear your views about living in a remote rural area and in particular: the prices you pay for goods and services the range of products on offer the quality of goods and of service that you receive. This information will influence their work and help to develop ideas for the future.
The Highland Economic Forum, a partnership of public and private sector organisations chaired by Highland Council, is pursuing an initiative designed to build on the substantial employment and population growth that the region has achieved over the past ten years. Highland's population grew by 6.1% between 2001 and 2010 (twice the Scotland growth rate), and the Moray Firth sub region achieved the second highest economic growth between 1998 and 2008 of all the areas in the UK.
200,000 Scots called to action to tackle the nations litter problem! Keep Scotland Beautiful Keep Scotland Beautiful, one of Scotland's leading environmental charities, is calling out to 200,000 Scots to do their bit to clean up their favourite part of Scotland during a two month attack on the nations litter. Scotland's biggest annual litter clean up, known as National Spring Clean, is Keep Scotland Beautiful's flagship volunteer campaign and is supported by Zero Waste Scotland.
A report to The Highland Council's Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee on Thursday 16 March has identified that the Internet trading activities of almost 200 businesses across the UK are under investigation by Council's Trading Standards as a result of a survey undertaken between November 2011 and January 2012. Over 300 responses were received during the survey identifying problems with how delivery charges were calculated and how these charges were communicated to online customers.
The Highland Council has assured organisers of free-to-enter events that there will be no change to the current licensing arrangements when new guidance on public entertainment licensing is introduced on 1 April. This means that there will continue to be no charge for community or fund-raising events that are free to the public to attend.
The Cabinet Minister for Education and Life-long learning, Mike Russell dropped in on Ardnamurchan High School on Friday 2nd March en-route to the formal opening of Acharacle Primary School. The Highland Council's Director of Education, Culture and Sport , Hugh Fraser, and Acting Head of Education Calum Macsween together with councillors, Michael Foxley, Drew Millar and Bill Fernie joined Head Teacher Chris Millar-Craig and Parent Council Chair Sean Turner in welcoming Mike Russell to Ardnamurchan High School.
