Scottish business organisations launch partnership approach to exporting. A group of leading Scottish business organisations have joined forces to help Scottish companies trade internationally.
Highlands and Islands SNP MSP Rob Gibson has warmly welcomed news that an energy giant has acquired Thurso based ABSL Solutions. Commenting on the news that Thurso based battery ABSL Solutions has been bought by the worlds largest industrial battery manufacturer EnerSys, Mr Gibson said...
The Highland Council has agreed changes to the way communities will benefit from renewable energy developments. For onshore developments, the Council is adopting a three-tier approach to community benefit.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (March, 2nd) sold 506 store cattle, 2 adult head of breeding cattle and 44 OTM cattle. Bullocks (300) averaged 181.3p and sold to 227.3p per kg for a pen of 220kg Limousin crosses from Tillieglens, Forres, and £1,060 gross for a pen of 672kg Limousin crosses from Balliefurth, Grantown on Spey.
A new scheme governing the running of Community Councils in the Highlands takes effect from 1 April 2011. It brings together eight separate schemes into one Highland-wide scheme.
A special meeting of The Highland Council is being held on Thursday 10 March 2011 at the Council Chamber, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX to consider the findings of the Accounts Commission in respect of the Caithness Heat and Power project in Wick. The meeting is public and will start at 2 pm or following a meeting of the Education Culture and Sport Committee, whichever is the later.
The Highland Council's pilot webcasting scheme is to be extended so that council and strategic committee meetings held at Council headquarters in Inverness can be viewed by the public from their computers. At present, the Council webcasts meetings held in the Council Chamber of the Planning Environmental and Development Committee as well as the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey Planning Applications Committee and the Highland Licensing Committee.
A by-election will be held in The Highland Council's Ward 3 - Wick - on Thursday 7 April to choose a successor to Councillor Katrina MacNab (Independent), who resigns from the Council with effect from Friday (4 March). Nomination papers will be available from 10 am on Monday 7 March.
The Highland Council has established a nine-member working group to review classroom support in primary schools. It has also set up a professional task group to provide the working group with advice in reaching its recommendations by the end of June, this year, with a view to implementation in August.
Highland Council failed to establish effective governance arrangements for innovative heat and power project The Accounts Commission has considered a report on The Highland Council's Caithness Heat and Power (CHaP) project, which was run by an arms-length community enterprise. In its findings the Commission says the lack of appropriate risk management and effective governance arrangements for the project was a corporate failure by the council.
CAREERS CONVENTION HOSTED BY SKILLS DEVELOPMENT SCOTLAND - THURSO HIGH SCHOOL WEDNESDAY 2ND MARCH FROM 6.00PM - 8.30PM People living in Caithness are being offered expert advice and information on taking the next step in their careers. The Careers Convention will be held on Wednesday 2nd March 2011 at Thurso High School, Ormlie Road, Thurso from 6.00 pm - 8.30pm and will offer people of all age's comprehensive information on careers, employment, training and education.
The Highland Council has put in place new governance arrangements to prevent a recurrence of the deficiencies experienced in the early operating years of Caithness Heat and Power, the community-owned enterprise formed to deliver a biomass district heating system in Wick. The Accounts Commission has ruled that the lack of appropriate risk management and effective governance arrangements for the project was a corporate failure by the council.
Preparations for the introduction of the new refuse and recycling collections to households in Caithness and Lochaber step up a gear this week as The Highland Council begin the distribution of new calendars and booklets giving full details of the new service. Households in areas which presently have blue recycling boxes will also begin to be issued with blue wheelie bins; these will take a wider range of materials than the boxes - paper, food tins and drink cans, cardboard and plastic bottles.
www.highland.gov.uk/greendogwalkers Dog fouling has long been an issue in all parts of the Highland Council area and now responsible dog owners are banding together to stop it with the launch of the Green Dog Walkers scheme. Green Dog Walkers is a non confrontational friendly way of changing people's attitudes towards dog fouling in public places and encourages responsible dog ownership.
Scotland's biggest population count, the 2011 Census, takes place on Sunday 27 March and everyone must be included. The census is the only survey to ask us all the same questions at the same time.
Enhancing benefits from renewable energy developments A working group set up by The Highland Council to identify the most effective way of maximising benefits to communities from renewable energy developments is recommending changes that could not only increase the level of pay outs by developers but see the benefits more widely spread throughout the Highlands. In reporting back to the full council after five meetings, the Community Benefit Working Group says the guiding principle should remain that local communities accommodating developments should continue to benefit most.
From Highland Council Agenda 3 March 2011 Councillor Robert Coghill has shown his exasperation to restrictions placed on councillors in a written question to the Highland Council convenor on 3 March - To the Convener "We cannot, as Councillors, comment on planning applications and then sit on the Planning Committee. What will you do to rectify this injustice?" The response is circulated - See Below Mr Coghill will be entitled to ask a supplementary question which will be answered by the Convener.
Katrina MacNab (Independent) has given notice of her resignation from the Council with effect from Friday 4 March 2011. Elected to the Council in 2003, she is one of three councillors representing Wick.
The proposed Mey Market is now being operated by Mey Village Hall themselves, with Jane Strugnell of Artisan Caithness acting as Manager not operator. Mey Village Hall were keen to offer every assistance with this venture and after some discussion, they were happy to take over the operation of the market with stall rents going towards the Hall's funding.
Residents in the Highlands could have more money in their pockets if they review and switch their energy supplier or energy deal. Nearly half of all Scots (48 per cent) have never switched their energy supplier or checked to see if they're getting the best deal on their energy bills.