Residents in the Highlands are being encouraged to bolster the ranks of their local Community Council as Interim elections take place to fill vacant positions serving eight areas of Nairn, Lochaber, Inverness and Caithness. The Highland Council, who administers the interim elections, are inviting nominations from people looking to fill vacancies on the following Community Councils.
Demand for statutory debt solutions continues to decline. Official statistics released this morning by The Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), Scotland’s insolvency service show that personal insolvencies have decreased by 2.2 per cent on the previous quarter and by 13.7 per cent on the same quarter of the previous year.
Mojo Maritime reaches a major milestone in building the Hi Flo 4 offshore construction vessel. Mojo Maritime has signed, on 16 January, a Memorandum of Understanding with Hammonia Reederei GmbH & Co.
The Highland Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) has recently been successful in securing further funding to support fishing communities in Highland under Axis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund. Funding of £198,642 is available to help communities where fishing requires supporting measures to build skills and knowledge and increase the capacity of local fishing communities and business networks through innovation, collaboration and diversification.
The Highland Council’s Finance Housing and Resources Committee, which meets on Wednesday, is being recommended to contain the average weekly rent increase to 2%. This will see the average rent rising from £68.99 to £70.37, an increase of £1.38.
Week Commencing 12 January 2014 Energy & Business Services: There is further evidence of progress with the programme of upgrades to the electricity transmission network in the north with this week’s announcement that Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission has received final planning consent from Scottish Government for the reinforcement of the electricity transmission network between Caithness and Moray. This will involve a new overhead line between the new Dounreay sub-station and Mybster (on the Causeymire), as part of the wider £1.2bn programme, which includes a subsea link from the east coast of Caithness to the Moray coast.
Police renew warning to retailers following reports of 'ringing the changes' frauds. Police Scotland are renewing previous warnings about deception thefts targeting businesses across the Highlands and Grampian after receiving two reports of 'ringing the changes' frauds at retail outlets in the Aberdeen and Inverness area on Saturday 11 of January 2014.
A major new report has found record numbers of people are now employed in the renewable energy sector in Scotland. Scottish Renewables commissioned independent researchers to survey more than 540 companies in what is the most comprehensive study to date.
An Inverness visitor centre is to receive a new name and make-over to help attract more tourists through its doors. Highland councillors have supported the re-branding and re-launch of the Inverness Floral Hall by approving £39K funds towards a development plan.
Have you checked out ways to save money on heating your home yet? RDI in Thurso specialise in heating systems and are sending out the message to check if you qualify for the Scottish Government Cash back scheme before it ends. The Green Homes Cash Back deal is funded by Scottish Government to offer you cash back on home improvements which increase energy efficiency.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts, (January, 15th) sold 3,225 sheep of all classes. Lambs (1,214) averaged £54.15 and sold to £84 gross for Texels from Teanluick, Beauly (Beaton).
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has given a connectivity boost to homes and businesses in Argyll and Moray by announcing that it will be bringing fibre optic broadband to the area this summer. The upgrade will come as a result of a collaborative scheme that has seen HIE join forces with service provider BT and invest a total of £146 million to roll out the superfast service all over the region.
Detailed plans for a new Primary School north of the river in Wick were given the go ahead today (Tuesday 14 January 2014) by The Highland Council’s North Planning Applications Committee. The new school will be built on part of the existing playing fields serving the existing North Primary School on Girnigoe Street and will replace North Primary School and Hillhead Primary School.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (January, 14th) sold 63 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (18) averaged 226.0p (-3.3p) and sold to 240p per kg and £1,657.60 gross.
Local food and drink producers and retailers in Caithness and Sutherland are being invited to two events in Thurso and Dornoch to explore and discuss future opportunities for closer collaboration. The events, which will both be held on Tuesday 21 January, are part of a series of local meetings taking place across the Highlands organised by the Think Local project which aims to facilitate constructive discussion about forging closer partnerships in the local food and drink sector.
The Leader of The Highland Council Councillor Drew Hendry has welcomed the progress being made by the Scottish Government to upgrade the Berriedale Braes, Caithness. Scottish Transport Minister Keith Brown has advised Councillor Hendry that public consultation on the preferred alignment is scheduled to take place soon and he hopes to publish the trunk road orders by the summer of this year, allowing construction to commence just as soon as funding becomes available.
Week Commencing 6 Januatry 2014 Energy & Business Services: I met today (Friday) with representatives from Financial & Business Services teams in HIE and Scottish Development International to discuss opportunities to attract new business to this area. We have companies in the north providing excellent business process operations (eg Escape Technologies, Aon Hewitt, BT, the Dental Plan) and we discussed forthcoming plans to raise awareness of our area’s skills in national and international markets.
A scheme to provide heat and power to homes in Wick has landed The Highland Council with a final bill of £11.5 million. Caithness Heat and Power was set up as an arm’s length company by the council in 2004 but ran into major problems and had to be taken back into council ownership four years later.
Following intensive inquiries three youths, aged 14, 14 and 15 years are to be reported to the Reporter to the Children's Panel following break-ins at the Highland Council yards at River Street, Wick and Albert Street, Wick and also JMS Express, Wick. The youths are also to be reported in relation to damage at Wick High School over the festive period.
People have until 5pm next Thursday (16 January) to feedback their comments on The Highland Council’s draft updated Dounreay Planning Framework which lays out policy to deal with future land use and site restoration plans for at the former nuclear power research site at Dounreay, near Thurso in Caithness. The Highland Council approved the existing Dounreay Planning Framework in January 2006, as a land use development brief against which to regulate and control future decommissioning and restoration works proposed at the former nuclear power research site at Dounreay.