Regulations governing the approval of a national Tenancy Deposit Scheme were laid in the Scottish Parliament. The regulations are expected to become law in March.
Transport Minister Keith Brown today gave the go ahead for the upgrade after considering the findings and recommendations of the public local inquiry. The improvements will provide continuous dual carriageway between Aberdeen and Ellon and remove the bottleneck caused by the existing single carriageway.
Budding computer games designers are being given a unique opportunity to design a digital game for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Any student studying in Scotland is eligible for the competition which will see both the winner and runner up take home a cash prize of £2014.
The Highland Council's Library Service has received acknowledgement for their commitment to providing high quality services at the inaugural Scottish Library Excellence Awards. With public libraries in Scotland attracting over 30 million visitors per year and academic libraries attracting 12.8 million, the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) acknowledged the achievements of Highland libraries.
A 2,000 Tonne load of salt delivered to Inverness yesterday (24 January 2011) has boosted total stock on salt for Highland Council roads to 14,800 Tonnes. With a further 8,300 Tonnes due later in the week, stocks are now sustainably above the 12,800 Tonne threshold at which Councillors decided last week that restrictions should be lifted.
The Highland Council has welcomed the progress announced today (Tuesday 25 January 2011) in reactivating the former Nigg oil fabrication yard in East Ross. Global Energy has confirmed it has been given preferred bidder status and is in the process of purchasing part of the site owned by US company, KBR, and securing a long term lease of the section owned by the Wakelyn Trust, with a view to taking over the site in April.
Young people from across the Highlands still have time to stand as candidates in the Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) elections which take place across Scotland in March. SYP is the national organisation which provides young people aged 14-25 a platform to represent young people across Highland and Scotland and is an opportunity to influence politicians and formal decision makers.
Planning consultations seek views on sustainable design and impact of development on trees and woodland. An eight-week public consultation gets under way today Monday (24 January 2011) on two new planning documents produced by The Highland Council's Planning Environment and Development Service, which provide guidance on the design of buildings as well the impact of developments on trees and woodland.
Highland householders are being advised by The Highland Council of new and extended ways of paying their Council Tax, rent and other Council bills. The new payment system takes effect from 1 April - the start of the new financial year.
Members of The Highland Council's Transport Environmental and Community Services Committee have agreed that emergency measures to conserve road salt should remain in place until the stock returns to a sustainable level of 12,800 tonnes, which provides eight days of supply at heavy usage. The latest stock level stands at 12,300 tonnes and it is hoped that the restrictions can be lifted by the end of next week, if further scheduled salt supplies arrive.
Members of the Planning, Environment and Development Committee have agreed a 10 point action plan for offshore renewable energy development which will assist The Highland Council to deliver set objectives for the economy, communities and the environment. The Action Plan, which received cross party support, covers issues surrounding infrastructure, the supply chain, community benefit and workforce and skills.
In a presentation given to the Highland Council's Planning and Economic Development Committee on January 19th, Ann Hackett, Principal Projects Officer, highlighted to Councillors how over £4 million of Environmental Improvement Projects have contributed to sustainable economic growth throughout Highland Communities. Chairman of the PED Committee, Councillor Ian Ross said: "The Planning & Development Capital Programme is relatively modest when compared to the big Council services, but it enables us to tap into other sources of external funding.
Council updates members on development of a business case for arms length organisation Members of The Highland Council's Education, Culture and Sport Committee have welcomed the confirmation of a portfolio of services, facilities, staff and budgets to be included within the development of the business case that will explore establishing an arms length organisation (ALO) to manage and deliver the Council's Community Learning and Leisure Services (CLL). Included within the portfolio being considered for the business case are: some 300 buildings and property; around 460 staff; and services covering adult and youth work, culture, facilities, libraries, sport, and health and well being partnership working.
DINGWALL, Dingwall & Highland Marts Ltd., (January, 18th) sold 85 prime cattle. Prime bullocks (41) averaged 166p (-6.9p) and sold to 176p per kg and £1,188.00 gross.
NORTHERN Constabulary will be utilising the power of the test purchasing legislation to target unscrupulous licensed traders who sell alcohol to under 18s in the coming months. Test Purchasing schemes are designed to target the illegal sale of alcohol to young people and the irresponsible and anti-social behaviour that stems from that.
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd has selected Graham Construction as its preferred bidder for the design and build of a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. The company has headquarters in County Down, Northern Ireland, and operates throughout Scotland from offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd wants to restore an area of land designated as a rubble dump during the construction and operation phases of the site. An estimated 70,000m3 of material from the construction and demolition of buildings was deposited in the area beyond the eastern perimeter of the site from 1960 or so.
The Highland Council's Education Culture and Sport Committee has agreed that the initial phase of the strategic review of the entire Council school estate will examine the Associated School Groupings for Wick High School and Thurso High School. A pilot review has already been carried out in the Lochaber area.
The first council houses to be built in the Highlands since1996 are now completed and tenants have moved in to start the New Year in their new homes. As part of a £12.8m project supported by grant funding from the Scottish Government, the 9 houses in Tain and the 13 in Invergordon are the first of 107 mainstream homes that will be built by The Highland Council across the Highlands over the coming year.
Zero Waste Scotland announce sale of 250,000 compost bins in Scotland Zero Waste Scotland has announced that 250,000 subsidised compost bins have been sold through its Compost at Home campaign since it launched in 2004. Over 27,000 of these bins have been distributed to householders in the Highlands.