COUNCIL ENCOURAGED WITH RESPONSE TO PRIVATE PROPERTY LEASING SCHEME Highland Council's Housing Service has been greatly encouraged by its public appeal earlier this month to private property owners to consider leasing their properties to the Council. Members and officials have welcomed the response from 24 people from throughout the Highlands who have contacted Housing staff to enquire about the Council's private leasing scheme.
A Sutherland shellfish company who partially moved from creel fishing to mussel farming in 2003 have been so encouraged by the potential of their new venture that they are now turning their full attention to mussel farming. Caspian Shellfish, owned by Charles and Annette Mackay and Graeme Gunn, is expanding to increase their production of mussels to meet the increasing demand both in Scotland and throughout Europe.
A 5% increase in taxi fares throughout the Highlands will come into force from Monday 10 January 2005. The Highland Council has been able to confirm the increase following rejection of an appeal to Richard Hamilton McFarlane, Deputy Traffic Commissioner in the Scottish Traffic Area, that the increase was inadequate.
The Convener of The Highland Council, Councillor Alison Magee, has welcomed the award of a £100,000 grant from the Scottish Executive which will help open up land at the South Bonar Industrial Estate for local business development. The grant will enable the Council to remediate land at the former petrol filling station at South Bonar, removing derelict storage tanks and associated infrastructure.
The following are funds approved up to the last day of the month. Please note that the sums relate to approvals, not payments.
The Sutherland Business Index has now undergone the largest part of its new facelift. Everything from the old site has been upgraded to the new look and updates received over the last 2 years are being dealt with today.
The chairman of Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE), Pat Buchanan, long with chief executive Carroll Buxton, welcomed three new directors to the local enterprise company's board yesterday (Tuesday 14th December). The three new members are David Halpin, who lives in Dornoch; Willie Calder from Thurso and Nick Gorton, based in Lochinver.
Parents of young children in the Highlands, who currently have difficulty finding childcare provision to meet their needs, are being offered a more flexible service by Direct Childcare. The Inverness-based company, which currently serves much of the Highland area, is in the process of recruiting and training sitters who will take care of children outside of normal working hours within the child's home.
Companies go through to Scotland-wide final of VIBES awards next week The Highlands and Islands most environmentally-positive companies have been announced by judges of Scotland's leading environmental awards for businesses. Global provider of total subsea solutions, Wick-based Subsea 7, has won the Highlands and Islands large company category, salmon farming specialist Loch Duart, based in Scourie, has won the Highlands and Islands medium-sized company category while Shetland-based recycling project Enviroglass came top in the Highlands and Islands category for small companies.
Overall, the number of people unemployed in Caithness and Sutherland fell from 745 last month to 742. The revised unemployment rates in the Sutherland, Wick and Thurso 'Travel to Work Areas' respectively are as follows (corresponding figures for last month are in brackets): 3.1% (3.3%), 4.4% (4.3%) and 2.5% (2.5%).
Overall, the number of people unemployed in Caithness and Sutherland fell from 755 last month to 745. The revised unemployment rates in the Sutherland, Wick and Thurso 'Travel to Work Areas' respectively are as follows (corresponding figures for last month are in brackets): 3.3% (3.4%), 4.3% (4.4%) and 2.5% (2.4%).
Overall, the number of people unemployed in Caithness and Sutherland fell from 808 last month to 755. The revised unemployment rates in the Sutherland, Wick and Thurso 'Travel to Work Areas' respectively are as follows (corresponding figures for last month are in brackets): 3.4% (3.7%), 4.4% (4.4%) and 2.4% (2.8%).
A Brora man has started a quirky new business which aims to capitalise on people's sense of smell for nostalgia - and the idea could have come from a famous cartoon character! Aimed at the thousands of tourists who visit Scotland every year in search of their ancestors, Sandy Crawford's business - Peat Reek Limited - manufactures and sells small cones made from local peat, which people can burn in their homes to remind them of their Scottish connections. Sandy is also selling cones with a distinctive Scots Pine aroma.
The Caithness Area Committee of the Highland Council has nominated Cllr Bill Fernie as their representative on the Board of Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE). Bill represents the West Wick ward and is the Area Committee's chairman of Housing and Social Work.
A Sutherland-man with a passion for All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) has come up with a novel way to help estate workers tackle out of control hill fires. Richard Munro has converted an ATV into a fire control unit, which can access blazes on rough and difficult terrain.
A project offering employers practical help on all aspects of recruitment is being extended. Funding has been secured to allow Recruit Sutherland to continue until December 2004.
Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise (CASE) has published its year-end results, following the release of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Network's results this morning. CASE performed well in all of the Network's themes of Strengthening Communities, Developing Skills, Making Global Connections and Growing Businesses.
DURNESS DEVELOPMENT GROUP LIMITED Sangomore Headland Durness Sutherland IV27 4PZ 01971 511346 E-mail ronnie@durness.org The idea has been initiated from the grass roots of the communities and a great deal of time has been dedicated to discussions with all the parties that can become involved and benefit from such an endeavour. The Mackay Country Scheme is a long-term project that can only succeed with the co-operation and commitment of individuals, groups and agencies that live, work and operate in the locality.
Recruit Sutherland has received confirmation that funding has been assured for 2 years from January 2003. As a result, businesses in Sutherland will have the opportunity to access assistance on all aspects of the recruitment process - financial subsidies, employment legislation, Health & Safety issues etc.
