A hi-tech "worm" is probing a subterranean pipeline used to discharge radioactive effluent from Dounreay between 1957 and 1992. The £100,000 pipe crawler has sent back video and radiation readings during its five-day journey some 45 metres underground.
For a second year running, The Highland Council is committing a further £100,000 to money advice and welfare rights services in the Highlands. This takes the Council's annual funding for these important services to £1,414,000.
Patients in busy hospital theatres in Highland are benefiting from a safety initiative modelled on the checks made by aircrew on take-off. The Surgical Pause is a final, last minute check-list of questions which ensures that the team of nurses and doctors performing the procedure can be confident that they have reduced the risk of error to the lowest possible level.
The Crown Estate has announced that the first stage of the process to allocate sites for wave and tidal renewable energy in the Pentland Firth strategic area is complete. Developers' response to this first invitation has been very positive and 38 individual companies and consortia have been invited to tender following confirmation of their interest by registering for the pre-qualification process.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (February, 18th) sold 463 store cattle and 58 OTM cattle. Bullocks (286) averaged 179.4p and sold to 215.0p per kg and £990 gross.
The Highland Council has retained its Charter Mark Standard for excellence in customer service delivery at its network of 37 Service Points, and its Service Centre at Alness with a glowing report from the Cabinet Office's assessors which concluded the Council should be held "as a beacon in public service delivery". Members of the Council's Resources Committee (Wednesday 18 February 2009) warmly welcomed the continuing positive assessment by the National Chartermark Standard, which tests in great depth those areas of service that are a priority for customers.
Members of The Highlands Council's Resources Committee have pledged their support to the development of a UHI Centre for History at Dornoch. Councillors unanimously agreed to commit £200,000 in the current financial year (2008/09) from the Council's uncommitted Capital Discretionary Fund - subject to conditions to be agreed by the Director of Finance and the Head of Legal Services.
The Highland Council is one of only three Councils in Scotland to receive Carbon Trust Standard certification in recognition of the progress it is making in reducing carbon emissions. Since 2006-7, carbon emissions from Council buildings have reduced by 12%.
The number of accidents reported to The Highland Council's Health and Safety team has significantly reduced, councillors have been advised. In their annual report for 2007/8, the team report reductions in accidents and incidents across all categories and say the number of days lost due to accidents - 741 - has fallen to the lowest figure recorded since the Council was formed in 1996.
In the current economic climate it is essential businesses are prepared for new regulations, as failure to comply could lead to increased costs. NetRegs (www.netregs.gov.uk) is a free UK website offering environmental guidance for businesses and is delivered in partnership with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
Scotland's recycling and composting rate continues to make steady progress. Figures released today (Friday 13 February), by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), show that Scotland's annual recycling and composting rate rose to 32.9% for the year October 2007 to September 2008.
The first in a series of training days for warranted Water Bailiffs across Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross took place at Achfary, on the Reay Forest Estate last week for bailiffs from the North & West District Salmon Board. The training days are part of an ongoing Police initiative to tackle Wildlife Crime in the Far North by the Police working in partnership with gamekeepers, water bailiffs, countryside rangers, conservationists and other organisations involved in countryside.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (February, 17th) sold 80 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (46) averaged 169.5p (+0.8p) and sold to 180p per kg and £1,261.60 gross.
The prolonged period of adverse weather conditions this winter has resulted in a significant increase in the usage of rock salt to treat roads in the Highlands. The average annual usage of rock salt over the past five years has been 55,000 tonnes.
Temporary closure of Seater landfill site and the access road thereto due to essential repairs Last 3 weekends in march 2009 Please note that essential repairs will be carried out on the access road to the above facility during the last 3 weekends in March. The road will be closed from 2.00pm on the Friday afternoon and will re-open at 8.00am on the Monday morning during the following dates:- 13th March to 16th March 20th March to 23nd March 27th March to 30th March Householders can take their waste and recyclate to the recycling centres at Thurso and Wick which will be open from 11am to 4.00pm on all of these dates If you have any queries please contact 01955 641284..
People looking for an alternative holiday or the opportunity to get hands-on conservation experience this spring are being encouraged to join Trees for Life's award-winning work to restore the Caledonian Forest in the Scottish Highlands. The charity's Conservation Volunteer Weeks have just been selected (in February 2009) as one of the Top 10 Conservation Holidays in the world by BBC Wildlife Magazine.
The Highland Council has advised customers of its Wick district heating system that their supply of heat and hot water will continue as it investigates the best way forward for delivering heat to their homes in the future. Letters were hand delivered to 247 homes immediately following a special meeting of the Council on Thursday 12th February 2009 when councillors concluded that the technology installed at the Caithness Heat and Power plant to produce heat and hot water and electricity was unlikely to deliver what it set out to achieve.
Highland romantics are being encouraged to get fresh this Valentine's Day by turning on ... the tap.
A freeze in the Council Tax and a growth in spending to accommodate priority front line services has been confirmed by The Highland Council. The Independent/Liberal Democrat and Labour Administration were successful with their recommendation to keep the tax at 2008/9 levels and deliver a revenue budget for 2009/10 of £598 million, an extra £23 million (or 4.3% increase) over the current financial year.
The Scottish Government is boosting payments to Housing Associations to ensure construction work continues in the current economic climate. The standard Housing Association Grant assumptions are being increased by an average of six percent.
