The latest edition of Dounreay News is available at http://www.dounreay.com/news-room/dounreay-news Always packed with photos of past events and current activities at the site..
Package includes extra cash for road repairs and rate savings for 60 per cent of Scottish businesses Scottish councils are to receive a funding increase in 2010-11 to help protect frontline services despite the Westminster-imposed cut in the Scottish Budget. Finance Secretary John Swinney today confirmed a package of support for local government and business in Scotland which includes: * Total funding for councils in 2010-11 of almost 12 billion pounds * Confirmation that councils will continue to receive an increasing share of the total Scottish Budget * Five million pounds over and above the funding settlement to be shared among councils to repair damaged roads following severe cold snap * A drop in business rates for almost 60 per cent of Scottish firms, delivering average savings of more than 1,300 pounds annually * Help for councils to manage the costs of back claims for equal pay Mr Swinney said:"We recognise the very real challenges faced by councils and businesses in a challenging climate.
If the trends of recent years continue, the population of the Highlands is set to reach 257,965 by 2033, representing an increase of 18% (38,565) from the 2008 population of 219,400. This is a higher rate of population increase than given by the previous 2006-based projections.
The Highland Council has confirmed a freeze on the Council Tax for a third year in succession. The tax for 2010-11 is: Band A: £775.33; Band B: £904.56; C: £1,033.78; Band D: £1,163; Band E: £1,421.44; Band F: £1,679.89; Band G: £1,938.33; Band H: £2,326 In setting the budget of £607.2 million for 2010-11, the Council has found savings of £12.1 million in 2010-11; identified further savings of £11 million in 2011-12 and 2012-13; and estimates that savings of £36 million still require to be found in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
A new grant scheme has been introduced in the Highlands to help new businesses with their start up costs. It is hoped that at least 120 businesses will benefit from a grant - which can be used, for example, to buy equipment or market the new business.
Readers in the Highlands can now browse a new library catalogue system provided by The Highland Council. Talis Prism 3 known as High-CAT has been launched by the Council's Highland Libraries, the first local authority Library service in Scotland to provide the service.
Council Tax frozen as Council sets £607 million budget for 2010-11 The Highland Council will be asked to confirm savings of £12.1 million when they meet on Thursday 11 February to set a revenue budget of £607.2 million for 2010-11 and confirm a freeze on the Council Tax. The budget is based on the Council Tax at Band D remaining at £1,163 for the fourth successive year.
A Joint Ward Forum is to be held in the Pentland Hotel, Thurso on Tuesday 16th February at 7.30 pm until 9.30 pm on the subject of Tourism Scott Armstrong from Visit Scotland, Rachel Skene from Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Jill McNichol from North Highland Tourism and Colin Simpson from the Highland Council will all give 10 to 15 minute presentations. This Forum, as with other Ward Forums, is open to the general public who will be able to ask any questions of the speakers.
Social Enterprise awarded contract to recycle household waste electrical appliances for the Highlands. Alness based social enterprise, ILM (Highland), has recently been successful in being awarded a two year contract to recycle all household waste electrical appliances.
Emissions from a plant built to destroy one of Britain's biggest environmental hazards have been up to 4000 times cleaner than its designers expected. Engineers believed they could reduce the levels of radioactivity in effluent from a new liquid metal destruction plant by up to a thousand times at most.
A path in Castletown which was overgrown with gorse has been cleared by the Caithness Countryside Volunteers group. This latest activity of the group took place on Sunday 31st January.
Scotland's expected population increase is likely to be unevenly spread across the country, according to a report issued today by the Registrar General for Scotland. Commenting on the report, the Registrar General Duncan Macniven said: "Over the next 25 years, we expect the population of Scotland to increase by about 7 per cent.
The Highland Council is advising business people, who sell sporting knifes and daggers as well as ceremonial swords, that they will need a licence to sell these goods in the future. The Council wants those concerned to apply now to ensure the application has been processed in time for the introduction on 1 June of this year of the new legislation, which is covered by Section 27A of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.
Hammerfest Strøm and ScottishPower Renewables Closer to Major Tidal Power Project Hammerfest Strøm UK Ltd, subsidiary of the Norwegian tidal power developer Hammerfest Strøm AS, has today (Tuesday 2nd February, 2010) received a £ 3.9 million grant from the Carbon Trust for the construction and testing of a 1 MW tidal power device at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. The tidal turbine, known as HS1000, is expected to be fully operational in Orkney by 2011.
Work has started on a joint project to produce a unique map for the Highlands which will show the way renewable and other heat sources could be used in years to come. AECOM have just been awarded the contract to investigate, design and prepare a 'Heat Map' which will bring together information on the demand for heat and the potential sources of supply for renewable and waste heat.
One of the world's leading experts on entrepreneurship is urging businesses in the Highlands and Islands to change their mindset to become globally successful. Serial entrepreneur and founder of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Entrepreneurship Center, Ken Morse, believes creating the right environment for businesses to flourish will come about by successful business people passing on their skills to the next generation.
Old Pulteney single malt whisky has helped a separated Cape Wrath couple celebrate their reunion this week with a bottle of their whisky from their Wick-based distillery. John and Kay Ure, who run an isolated tea room in the UK mainland's most north-westerly tip, were forced to spend the festive season apart for the first time in 35 years when the 'big freeze' hit in December.
The North Highland College, Thurso Limited places are now available on a new course running at the North Highland College, in our recycling centre. Flexible hours are available.
People working to grow some of the Highlands and Islands most fragile communities are to benefit from free online access to a range of top tips and advice. The Scottish Community Land Network (SCLN) website, funded by HIE, has published a training package aimed at supporting anyone involved in community driven activities.
Speaking in a debate yesterday about underpinning Scotland's post offices, North MSP Jamie Stone called on the Royal Bank of Scotland to allow its customers to withdraw money from post office automated teller machines. Mr Stone said:- "It is still not possible to use post office automated teller machines to withdraw money from the Royal Bank of Scotland.
