Andy Summers, Highland Council Senior Countryside Ranger for Caithness and Sutherland installing migrating toad crossing ahead road sign. Andy Summers, Highland Council Senior Countryside Ranger for Caithness and Sutherland has been helping the Assynt Field Club put out warning signs for motorists near Lochinver to take care that toads may be crossing the road.
Funding for groups to build their own enterprises. A charity that helps to develop and support entrepreneurs in some of Scotlands poorest communities will be expanded into four new local authority areas thanks to a £225,000 funding boost.
As part of Scottish Tourism Week, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is announcing a £310,000 investment to ensure the region's tourism businesses maximise the benefits from a new £1.2m Digital Tourism Scotland (DTS) programme. HIE is commissioning local tourism groups across the region to carry out a business survey with tourism SMEs.
Week Commencing 14th March 2016. Energy & Business Services Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) held a pre-application consultation event in Wick this week in support of plans related to the onshore infrastructure at Wick Harbour for its proposed offshore windfarm development off the Caithness coast.
Consultation on potential changes. Crofters are being asked for their views about Crofting Commission elections, ahead of next year's vote.
Following the Discover Digital 2016 conference yesterday (17 March 206) which attracted over 200 delegates from business and communities, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) says it's ramping up support to help the region's organisations to innovate using digital. Representatives from business, social enterprises, the healthcare sector, and charity groups attended the Discover Digital event at Eden Court Theatre, Inverness, and around 60 people tuned in from around the region for the live webcast.
More than 56,000 workers now employed by Pledge companies. The number of employees working at companies that have made the Scottish Business Pledge has broken through the 56,000 barrier.
Around 40,000 disabled people in Scotland will be worse off if the UK Government press ahead with their changes to the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil said today. Mr Neil has written to the UK Government's Minister for Disabled People to voice his opposition to the cuts which will wipe £130 million a year from disability benefits in Scotland.
FM announces chair and remit for review of rates system. Small businesses have saved £1 billion thanks to the Scottish Government's small business bonus scheme.
Funding of £23,000 was approved at Sutherland County Committee to complete the works due to be undertaken at Evelix Road, Dornoch. Councillors had previously approved £25,000 from the Cycling Walking and Safer Streets programme for this scheme which consists of a build out, gateway, lining and the creation of a new footpath leading from the town to both the primary and secondary school.
The first meeting of the new Sutherland County Committee took place on Tuesday 9th February 2016 at Drummuie Council Offices in Golspie. Committee members are Councillors George Farlow, Hugh Morrison, Linda Munro, Deirdre Mackay, Jim McGillivray and Graham Phillips.
Three Sutherland community groups have been awarded funding from the Council for projects which will reduce the carbon emissions, and tackle climate change in the region. The Carbon CLEVER Community Grant Fund was been established to help Highland communities reduce their carbon emissions, take leadership on carbon reduction, engage with others, raise awareness of climate change issues and promote low carbon behaviour.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has commissioned a study to determine whether an area of north Sutherland might in future make a suitable location to launch satellites into Earth orbit. A feasibility study is under way to examine the pros and cons of establishing a vertical launch facility for commercial satellites at The Moine, part of the Melness Crofting Estate near Tongue.
Ambitious plans to transport timber from the Flow Country in remote North Sutherland to Inverness via rail instead of road could pave the way for other projects in rural communities throughout the UK, delegates were told at a rail stakeholder conference organised by HITRANS, the regional transport partnership for the Highlands and Islands. HITRANS is co-ordinating investigations into the feasibility of the proposal, called Branchliner, which would see a major new facility created at Kinbrace to freight the timber to southern markets via an expanded siding at Inverness railway station.
The fish quota package agreed in Brussels includes big gains for the Scottish industry worth around £25 million to the whitefish fleet, Fisheries Secretary Richard Lochhead said today. Mr Lochhead said the overall package includes increased fish quota in 16 out of 23 key Scottish stocks, including cod and haddock.
In 2014 the level of fuel poverty remained similar to the previous year: 34.9% or around 845,000 households were fuel poor and 9.5% were living in extreme fuel poverty. This compares to revised estimates of 35.8% or 860,000 fuel poor households in 2013, with 9.8% living in extreme fuel poverty[1].
The latest figures show that more people in Scotland are in employment compared to the previous quarter and the same time last year. They also show that the number of people unemployed has fallen over the quarter.
The Commission on Local Tax Reform has published Just Change: A New Approach to Local Taxation. The cross-party commission, established jointly by the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), brought together representatives from across the political spectrum to look at options for a fairer local tax system.
Public Sector Employment Statistics for Scotland, released today by Scotlands Chief Statistician, show that over the year to Q3 2015, employment in the public sector in Scotland has decreased by 500 (down 0.1 per cent) to 544,700. The lowest level seen since the series began in 1999.
