Local Authority News
6/3/2024
Council Employee Receives Special Recognition At The Scottish Empty Homes Awards
Dawn Meston from The Highland Council's Housing team won a prestigious award at the Scottish Empty Homes Awards held at The Studio, Glasgow on Thursday 29 February 2024 in recognition of her contribution to bringing empty homes back into use across Highland. Between 1 April and 31 December 2023, a total of 25 empty properties were brought back into use following Dawn's intervention as Highland's Empty Homes Officer.
5/3/2024
Highland Council Confirms Dates For Thermal Trial To Start In Thurso
The Chair of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee has confirmed details of a trial, to start next week, of a thermal process for carrying out pothole repairs. An external contractor, Thermal Road Repairs, has been appointed to undertake the work using a thermal repair process.
5/3/2024
So Where Are We With Major Road Repairs?
Road conditions have been deteriorating for many years in Caithness and across all of Scotland. Almost a year ago highland council approved a further £7.7 million.
4/3/2024
Bins Bins Bins - Improvements To Waste And Recycling Collections Across Highland - Starting In Ross And Cromarty - Caithness In September
The Highland Council is making improvements to waste and recycling collections across Highland - starting in Ross and Cromarty (and Dornoch). Residents in Ross and Cromarty (and Dornoch) will receive a letter in the post over the next six weeks which will explain what is changing and when.
27/2/2024
The Highland Council Budget Meeting To Be Broadcast On Youtube
The Highland Council will be broadcasting our upcoming special budget meeting on Thursday 29 February 2024. Alongside our regular webcast platform, you will be able to watch proceedings live on our YouTube channel in high definition Coverage on YouTube will start at 10am, with the meeting starting at 10.30am.23/2/2024
No Redundancies In Highland Council's 24/25 Budget But Job Reductions Over 3 Years
Highland councillors will meet on 29th February 2024 to agree the proposals set out in the papers published today. There has been a long period of public consultation on the proposals and although there are unpalatable suggestions they will balance the books.23/2/2024
Make No Mistake Highland Council Are Going to Make Significant Cuts For Next Two Years At Least
Over £100m investment programme proposed as part of 3-year budget Highland council are about to use significant amounts of reserves to cover shortfalls in the budget for 24/25 and possibly 25/26. Despite pushing out big figures it disguises the cuts about to fall on Highland services.20/2/2024
Flights from Wick Airport - Uncertainty over future funding of Wick Aberdeen Service
The Highland Council is currently unable to confirm whether funding will be available to support the Wick-Aberdeen Public Service Obligation (PSO) after 31st March 2024. The funding for the PSO is currently provided on the basis of £1.3m annually, with £1m committed by the Scottish Government and £0.3m committed by The Highland Council.20/2/2024
Primary Strategic Network in Education for Highland
A collaborative network of Head Teachers and Education Officers are working closely together with the goal of improving attainment and achievement in Highland primary schools. Cllr John Finlayson, Education Chair said: "It is essential that we have strong, consultation and communication strategies in place and there is effective and ongoing collaboration between our schools and our central education service.16/2/2024
Council Announces Thermal Pothole Repair Trial - Thurso One Of The Trial Areas
The Chair of The Highland Council's Economy and Infrastructure Committee has announced that a 3-week trial of a thermal process for pothole repairs will be taking place. An external contractor, Thermal Road Repairs, has been appointed to undertake the trial before the end of the 2023/24 financial year.
30/1/2024
Roads In Caithness Will Get Worse Caithness Area Committee Admits As Funding Is Inadequate For 2024/25
The Council at the Caithness Area Committee agree the roads budget for 2024/25 with exactly the same amount as for 2023/24. Clearly with rapidly increasing costs this will come nowhere near to maintaining the roads to even the poor condition they are now in.
30/1/2024
Community Regeneration Funding awarded to Caithness groups
Caithness Committee Members today (Monday 29 January 2024) considered and assessed applications submitted to the area's Community Regeneration Fund. Community Regeneration Funding is an umbrella term for a number of funds that are available for communities/organisations to access in Highland.25/1/2024
PPP Accounting Flexibility To Be Considered - Short Term Benefit But Long-Term Pain
A briefing has been provided to all members of the Council on an accounting flexibility introduced by Scottish Government and available to Councils to utilise in 2022/23 or 2023/24. A number of reports to Council in recent months have covered this topic, and a number of other Councils have utilised the flexibility in 2022/23 or are considering doing so in 2023/24.19/1/2024
Thurso and Wick High Schools Closed on Friday 19th January
Weather is still hitting school transport services around the county. Wick Unfortunately we have made the decision to close the school tomorrow, Friday 19th January, due to the ongoing snowfall and hazardous road conditions.18/1/2024
Highland Road Conditions Report - Thursday 18 January 2024 - Caithness Main Roads Passable
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
17/1/2024
Launch Of New Access To Trades Initiative
The Highland Council's Employability Service and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) are delighted to announce an exciting collaboration to offer a pre-employability programme which seeks to support out-of-work young people on a pathway to the trades. Supported through the Scottish Government's No One left Behind Employability Funding, the Access To Trades initiative will provide a pathway for young people up to the age of 29 years to progress on to the CITB's Scottish Academy for Construction Opportunities (SACO) Programme.
17/1/2024
Many Schools Closed Today 17 January 2024
The Highland Council has posted today that the following schools are closed on 17 January 2024. Make sure to check the schools closed listing on the Highland council web site each day.17/1/2024
Highland Road Conditions Report - Wednesday 17 January 2024
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
16/1/2024
Highland Road Conditions Report - Tuesday 16 January 2024
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
5/1/2024
