Recent analysis shows that that over a third of waste in the average household refuse bin could be recycled or composted at home! The Highland Council has conducted a Waste Composition Analysis of the waste that householders put in their refuse and recycling bins. Funded by Zero Waste Scotland as part of a national analysis of the waste in household bins across Scotland, the results will enable the Council to focus on waste prevention and increasing recycling.
International Scotland, an initiative led by law firm CMS and the Fraser of Allander Institute, has launched a new report setting out key business priorities to be addressed to ensure the nation's economy can thrive. Focused on providing a platform to promote economic growth, International Scotland was launched last year with an initial report setting out the opportunities for growth across key sectors such as sustainable tourism, food & drink, life sciences and renewable energy.
The Highland Council is now accepting expressions of interest for the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund for 2024-2025. The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund is delivered in partnership with the Scottish Government and COSLA.
Scotland's increasingly valuable rural land is only available to a limited few as high demand from forestry, natural capital investment, and corporate estate buyers continues to drive high prices, according to a new report by the Scottish Land Commission. The Rural Land Market Insights Report 2023 underlines the need for action to ensure that communities, family farms, local businesses, and individuals are not priced out of the rural land market due to sustained high land prices driven by large-scale forestry and natural capital investments.
The Tenant Farming Commissioner, Bob McIntosh, explores upcoming changes to the standards for agricultural housing in his latest blog. Scottish Ministers have clearly signalled that they would like a whole-sector approach to standards for rented housing - aligning not only the private and social rented sectors but also housing included in farm tenancies.
A new course developed by UHI North Highland, UHI Outer Hebrides and UHI West Highland aims to equip graduates with the skills and knowledge to enter the fast-growing and dynamic green economy industry. Starting this September, the HNC Wildlife and Conservation Management course will focus on important activities such as ecology and ecosystems, species and habitat monitoring, conservation, land management and sustainable wildlife management.
The Highland Council will promote, on behalf of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), proposed byelaws to restrict public access rights during launches at the Sutherland SpacePort by Tongue. The proposed byelaws will be made available for public inspection and a 12-week public consultation will take place with key stakeholders.
Sutherland-based GMG Energy switched on its huge solar array to provide energy for its burgeoning local business. A sustainable timber products specialist which contributes significantly to the circular economy in the Highlands and the Northern Isles has become even more energy efficient after putting a massive solar array on the roof of its production facility into operation.
£14.6 Million Public Investment Package Confirmed for Carbon-Neutral Spaceport Project. Orbex has announced that construction has begun at Sutherland Spaceport (formerly known as Space Hub Sutherland) in Scotland, making this the first vertical launch spaceport to be built on the UK mainland.
During the last year, over 2000 Highland businesses have been supported to start-up and grow by Highland Council. Supported by the Council's business development service, businesses have secured start-up and growth finance, and have accessed advisory support through the Council's Business Gateway service.
Members at today's (4 May 2023) Economy and Infrastructure Committee reviewed and approved the next steps for the future of Highland Council's three airfields. The report highlights that current resource committed to the operation and maintenance of the airfields at Ashaig in Skye, Dornoch and Plockton is not sufficient to meet all of the maintenance liabilities and legal requirements.
Highland Council today agreed to allocate a further £7.7 million to the roads capital budget taking the total to over £20million. For the £7.7m strategic allocation, the Service was asked to produce a further list of road surface treatment schemes, utilising engineering judgement and local knowledge to determine which projects were to be included.
The decisions today at Highland Council for Ward 20 may soon affect other areas and so anyone renting property may wish to keep up to date if already letting or planning to do so. On Thursday 4 May 2023 Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee meeting, Members agreed to the commencement of the Badenoch and Strathspey (Ward 20) Short Term Let Control Area (STLCA) and a formally established date of the 18 June 2023.
Businesses in the Highlands and Islands operating in tourism, creative industries and food and drink processing, can now apply for grants of up to £150,000 to help them reduce the environmental impacts of their operations. The £2m Green Grants Fund, launched today (Thursday 4 May) by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), is also available to social enterprises in any sector.
Members of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee were today (Thursday 4 May) given an overview of the employability services delivered by the Council and its partners, and approved priorities for the coming year. Members heard that during 2022-23 The Council's Employability team, together with public, private and third-sector partners delivered a suite of activity across Highland, supporting 680 people of whom 257 gained employment as a result.
Over the last two days, Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant has made impassioned pleas against the SNP's roughshod approach to imposing Highly Protected Marine Areas on coastal communities. Even a few SNP members spoke against the government legislation being imposed.
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, has called on Highland Council to rethink the recent decision to defer the replacement of the 140 year old Naver Bridge in north Sutherland. Mrs Grant has been contacted about the concerns locally surrounding the safety of the current bridge with additional fears that if it is allowed to deteriorate further, any potential closure would adversely affect communities who would face using an alternative route which would be both time consuming and costly for local residents.
Members of the Flow Country partnership are at the early stages of creating a Green Finance Initiative, looking at ways the peatlands can provide financial benefits to local communities. Flow Country partnership members are hosting a series of drop-in sessions and are inviting people to join them to discuss green finance and peatland restoration.
Sutherland Council Members have approved £698.6k worth of funding bids aimed at supporting economic regeneration and sustainable development across the area. Communities were invited to apply for Community Regeneration Funding, an umbrella term for accessible funding streams which comprise of the Highland Coastal Communities Fund and the Place Based Investment Programme.
As the festive season approaches The Highland Council would like to encourage households and businesses to consume responsibly and reduce the waste they create at Christmas. Every year the Council sees a large increase in waste generated over the festive period.
