Ownership of Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd has moved from the public sector to the private sector. It follows the successful completion at the weekend of the sale by the UK Atomic Energy Authority of its commercial interests to Babcock International Group PLC.
Highland councillors have commended their money advice and benefit maximisation teams for helping the public cope better with the effects of the recession. In a report providing a commentary on the current economic situation and implementation of the Council's Economic Downturn Action Plan, councillors were advised that over the first six months of this financial year, benefit maximisation staff were able to realise annual benefits to claimants of £785,000.
Pupils living in Glenelg, Wester Ross can now cycle to school each day safe in the knowledge that not only will their bikes stay dry in the newly erected bike shed but the solar panels on the shed roof will be busy producing energy for them to use in their own classrooms. The 2kW of renewable energy from the panelled roof will feed directly into the 39 pupil school and is expected to produce approximately 2,100kWh of annual consumption which is about the same as a small house or flat.
Highland Council Trading Standards Service is warning householders to be on their guard if they receive a phone call informing them that they have won a free house alarm. Unsuspecting consumers are being 'cold called' by phone with the news that they have won a 'free' alarm and that a representative will be round to fit it for them.
The Highland Council is encouraging local suppliers to come along to the last four of a series of 10 Procurement road shows. Entitled "Win More Business!" the events are aimed at helping local suppliers to develop their skills in tendering for public sector contracts.
Business and community groups across the Highlands and Islands are making use of a number of initiatives offered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). As part of the third update of the Scottish Government Economic Recovery Plan, HIE has this week highlighted a number of proven initiatives which are available in the area.
A recent housing study undertaken for The Highland Council has highlighted a chronic and persistent lack of affordable housing in the Highlands. It also shows that due to high house prices and low incomes less than a third of new households in the Highlands (29%) have enough money to buy housing.
Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of The Highland Council's Education Culture and Sport Committee has confirmed that a report will be considered by the Committee on Thursday 12 November recommending options for two new school projects in the Highlands, which could attract Scottish Government funding. He said: "In common with all local authorities, The Highland Council very recently received a request to identify primary school building projects which might attract funding from the Scottish Government under their recently announced school building programme.
The following is extracted from the Highland Councils paper presented to councillors on Thursday 29th October 2009. The full paper can be found at - http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/BF39295D-7D8A-4538-A54E-BC79835E2E30/0/Item12hc3309.pdf 1.
The two day Highland education festival held at Dingwall Academy on Tuesday and Wednesday has been a resounding success with over 1800 teaching staff, learning support auxiliaries and classroom assistants from schools across the Highlands attending. Featuring the Curriculum for Excellence work taking place in Highland schools, both days brought teaching staff together for workshops and training sessions and to hear from keynote speakers to demonstrate the depth and variety of good practice in the Highlands.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (October, 27th) sold 63 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (25) averaged 163.8p (-2.2p) and sold to 179p per kg and £1,166.10 gross.
At a special meeting today (Tuesday 27 October), The Highland Council's Resources Committee agreed to appoint Fujitsu Services as its preferred bidder for Information Communication and Technology Services over the next five years. The estimated value of the new contract, which will take effect from early in the new year, is more than £66 million.
Scottish Water today (27 Oct 2009) welcomed the report by the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, 'Cost and Performance 2008/09', which reports on the continued efficiency of the water utility. Sheila Campbell-Lloyd, Scottish Water's Regional Manager for Highland & The Western Isles, said: "The continued and sustained out-performance of cost targets has enabled us to keep charges to our customers in the Highlands and Western Isles steady as we work to provide one of the best value for money water and waste water services in the UK.
HALLOWEEN Police in Caithness are appealing to the public to remind parents and guardians of children to use discretion this Halloween season. We want people to be safety conscious at all times but particularly at Halloween when more children are out on our local streets.
New survey reveals attitudes and experiences of crime Just a month after official statistics showed that recorded crime in Scotland is at its lowest level in nearly 30 years and with record numbers of police officers in our communities, a new survey has revealed that Scots also now feel safer in their communities than in previous years. The results are contained in this year's Scottish Crime and Justice Survey which details the perceptions and experiences of crime amongst 16,000 adults in Scotland.
Highland Councillors will be asked next week to write to Lloyds Banking Group calling on them to continue their support of the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland. The Foundation has recently written to all Scottish councils informing them of the suspension of all its grant-making activities for the foreseeable future, with a resulting loss to Scottish charities of as least £6 million a year.
Recent enforcement action in Caithness has seen seven fixed penalty fines issued by The Highland Council in a matter of weeks in a clampdown of dog walkers who do not clean up after their dogs. Dog Warden, Anne Macdonald, who also deals with stray dogs as part of her job, has been working on joint enforcement patrols in Caithness with Area Education and Enforcement Officer James Sanderson.
Spotted at Helmsdale by Bill Fernie were a stunning set of cars - the new BMW's being launched for the media at Ackergill Tower near wck and being run through their paces around Caithness and Sutherland with swaps at Helmsdale. BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo - Gina The all-new BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo is a car which combines an understated coupé-like silhouette to the luxurious interior of a BMW 7 Series, while at the same time giving the functionality of a BMW 5 Series Touring or X5.
DUNNET FOREST UPDATE Autumn Newsletter 2009 At the AGM in May, the two longest serving directors stood down from office by rotation, but being eligible to stand again did so and were returned unopposed. This meant that the Board of Directors remained as it was.
UPDATE ON BEAULY TO DENNY LINK AND NATIONAL GRID AT NSIG EVENT The controversial proposed Beauly to Denny electricity transmission line upgrade and the National Grid's plans for the Highlands and Islands will be discussed at an event to be held by North Scotland Industries Group (NSIG) in Inverness on Thursday, October 29. NSIG's renewable energy update seminar will include presentations from Andy Huthwaite, Scottish and Southern Energy's project manager for the Beauly to Denny upgrade and from Alison Kay, the National Grid's commercial director for transmissions.