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News Archive


27/1/2017
Recommendation to discontinue education provision at Kinbrace SchoolThumbnail for article : Recommendation to discontinue education provision at Kinbrace School
A recommendation to discontinue education provision at the currently mothballed Kinbrace Primary School will be presented to the meeting of The Highland Council on 9 March 2017 for Members' consideration.   Members of the Council's Education, Children's and Adult Services Committee have agreed to recommend to the Council that the Authority discontinues education provision at Kinbrace and re-assign its catchment area to Helmsdale Primary school with a small area around Forsinard being reassigned to Melvich Primary.  
19/1/2017
Council Tax changes in 2017/2018
From 1 April 2017 the Scottish Government is changing the basis on which properties are assessed for Council Tax and this will increase the charge for Council Tax properties that are banded E to H.  The Highland Council has no discretion in this matter and must apply these increases to the Council Tax charges from 1 April 2017.  
19/1/2017
Council Leader welcomes outcome of Parliament vote to retain HIE Board
Leader of The Highland Council, Margaret Davidson (Independent) has welcomed the outcome of the vote yesterday, 17th January, in the Scottish Parliament, on the motion to reverse the decision to scrap the Board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).   Cllr Davidson said: "This vote sends a strong message to the Scottish Government about their incessant centralising agenda and we would now urge Ministers to reconsider their entire approach.  
14/12/2016
Pay And Display Parking At Highland Council Hq Car Park
Highland Council is introducing pay and display parking at its headquarters car park as part of its Decriminalised Parking Enforcement Schemes.   Cllr Allan Henderson, Chair of the Council's Community Services Committee said: "This change has come from a savings proposal agreed by Council in the December 2014 budget for implementation in 2015/16 to save £20,000 per year.  
5/11/2016
Highland Council is ready for winterThumbnail for article : Highland Council is ready for winter
The Highland Council's Community Services Committee has confirmed that the local authority if ready for winter with respect to its gritting service of council roads.   Members have been assured that the council has adequate salt stocks for the region which were replenished in September and October; that the authority will have around 60,000 tonnes in stock for the start of the main winter season and that there are no concerns about future provision of deliveries from the council's supplier.  
3/11/2016
Clarity on quotas - Stability over quota allocations for fisheries industry
The way fisheries quotas are allocated will remain unchanged once the devolution of new fisheries powers is confirmed, Rural Economy Fergus Ewing has announced.   Speaking at the Scottish Fishermen's Federation Dinner, Mr Ewing confirmed his intention to provide the industry with stability by maintaining existing allocations through the Fixed Quota Allocation (FQA) system.  
3/11/2016
EU funds guaranteed
Certainty for over £700m of farming, fishing and structural funds projects.   EU funding contracts for structural funds, fisheries and farming projects that are agreed before the UK proposes to leave the EU will be paid in full, the Scottish Government has announced.  
3/11/2016
Consultation period coming to a close on Modified Plan for Caithness and Sutherland
The Highland Council is reminding everyone that the opportunity to have a say on the modified version of the Proposed Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan (CaSPlan) is coming to an end, with the consultation closing at midday on Friday 11 November 2016.   The Council is urging anyone with an interest in Caithness and Sutherland to have their say on the Modified Plan, which focusses on where development should and should not occur in the Caithness and Sutherland area over the next twenty years.  
3/11/2016
Funding for the fuel poor
More people across the country will be able to keep themselves and their families warm this winter as a result of £10 million funding announced today.   Housing associations and councils will be given a share of £9 million funding to help improve the housing of some of the poorest households and those most in need.  
3/11/2016
Future of primary care
Agreement with profession on future role of GPs.   A joint agreement on the future direction of GP services has been signed by the Scottish Government and doctors' union the British Medical Association (BMA) The agreement, sent to all GPs this morning, sets out a shared vision for how primary care services can be improved, and the role GPs have to play.  
3/11/2016
Tackling serious organised crime
More than £100 million in criminal assets seized.   Significant progress has been made tackling serious organised crime in Scotland as public, private and voluntary sector partners work together to deal with emerging threats from cyber crime, human trafficking and fraud.  
3/11/2016
Council to take grass cutting service in-house
Amenity Services including Grass cutting for The Highland Council will be provided by an in-house service from the beginning of the financial year 2017/18.   Members of the Council's Community Services Committee have agreed to establish an in-house operation with a revised management structure and new performance management system.  
2/11/2016
Apprentice mechanics appointed by Highland Council
The Highland Council's Community Services have recently completed a recruitment drive for apprentice mechanics.   Over 250 applications were received and nine new apprentices have just started their 4 year training programme.  
2/11/2016
Call for the Highlands and Islands Enterprise board to be retained
Due to the uncertainty over the retention of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Board and following discussions at last week's Highland Council meeting, a report went to today's (Wednesday 2 November) Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee so members could discuss the issue.   In its original response to the Scottish Government on the Enterprise and Skills Review, the Council stressed the need to retain a regional economic development focus and the report presented today considered the outcomes of the first phase of the Review and how proposals for the implementation of phase 2 could impact on the Highlands, in particular proposals to create a Scottish wide Strategic Board.  
20/10/2016
Councillor calls for people to vote for Dornoch
Dornoch is the only Scottish finalist in the Great British High Street Awards and local Councillor Jim McGillivray is calling for people to cast their vote to give the Sutherland village a chance of winning.   He said: "Across all fourteen categories of the awards, Dornoch is the only Scottish finalist, and we're up against Leominister and Stockton on Tees in the Rising Star category, both of which have much larger populations than we do.  
20/10/2016
Highland Council Pre-Budget Statement
The Highland Council is anticipating it may have to make savings of £47 million to £72 million over the next 3 years, with a budget gap of some £26 million next year (2017-18) The financial environment is very challenging, with an unprecedented degree of uncertainty which makes planning very difficult.  There will be a very short timescale to react and provide options for budget savings once the Scottish Government settlement is made known on 15 December.  
19/10/2016
Redesign Board makes recommendation for future of janitorial and catering services
The Redesign Board of The Highland Council will recommend keeping Catering, Cleaning and Facilities Management/Janitorial Services (CCFM) in house within the Council.   Options for the future management of Catering, Cleaning and Facilities Management/Janitorial Services (CCFM) were considered by the Redesign Board today.  
19/10/2016
Fall in Scottish unemployment
Unemployment rates in Scotland fell by nearly one percentage point over the last quarter to 4.6%, the lowest rate of unemployment since 2008 according to the latest ONS statistics published today.   The Labour Market Statistics for June to August 2016 show Scotland continues to outperform the UK on female employment, unemployment and inactivity rates.  
19/10/2016
Consent granted for new wind farm near Lairg
Creag Riabhach wind farm to generate enough power for 36,000 homes.   Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse has today given consent for the construction of a 22 turbine wind farm in the Highlands.  
5/10/2016
Council highlights new rules on occasional licences and public entertainment licences
Voluntary organisations and personal licence holders who obtain occasional licences for the sale of alcohol under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 for events they are organising may shortly also require to obtain a public entertainment licence under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 for the same event.   Premises with a premises licence or an occasional licence for the sale of alcohol under the 2005 Act have both up till now been exempt from the requirement also to hold a public entertainment licence ( PEL) under the 1982 Act.