Planning Review Body Rejects Forss Wind Farm Extension

The Highland Council’s Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee has approved the structural maintenance programmes for roads and bridges in the area for the coming year.   The budgets allocated to Caithness and Sutherland for structural road and bridge maintenance totalled £2.44 million.   ... [full story]

A further step was taken yesterday towards a new Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan – CaS Plan - following a decision made at the Area Committee to issue a Call for Sites over the summer, urging communities to identify land for future development and areas they want to see protected.   The Committee members were also looking at ways of taking forward the outcomes from the Wick and Thurso Charrettes, which will help shape the CaS Plan.   ... [full story]

Councillor Deirdre Mackay, Leader of the Caithness and Sutherland Area committee has welcomed a presentation to the committee yesterday (Monday 20 May) which clearly laid out how the various agencies in Caithness and Sutherland are working together to offset the results of Dounreay decommissioning and ensure that clear pathways are in place to prepare our young people for the future needs and demands of industry and business across all sectors.   Reports from North Highland College, Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership, Caithness Chamber of Commerce and Skills Development Scotland were brought together for the first time outlining the work that is currently underway to ensure young people reach positive destinations when leaving school, college and university.   ... [full story]

Work has been completed on clean ups and repairs at 21 locations throughout the Highlands that were affected by the 14/15 December storm in 2012.   Members of The Highland Council’s Transport, Environmental and Community (TEC) Services Committee were updated yesterday on works completed and works still in progress at Portmahomack and Balintore Harbours.   ... [full story]

A zero tolerance approach to littering in the Highlands has received cross party support from members of The Highland Council’s Transport, Environmental and Community (TEC) Services Committee.   A number of measures to adopt zero tolerance including extending the powers of Community Wardens to issue fines were overwhelmingly approved by members including: · zero tolerance on littering will be carried out with a degree of discretion; · additional staff will be authorised to enforce the law relating to litter and fly-tipping; · Waste Management and Environmental Health staff carry out joint enforcement days; · the preparation and publication of a calendar of enforcement days on the Council’s website www.highland.gov.uk; and · the Council encourages and supports local communities to organise events aimed at keeping their communities free of litter and improving the overall environment.   ... [full story]

The Planning, Environment and Development Committee of the Highland Council today (15th May) approved a revised version of the Planning Enforcement Charter which details the Council’s statement of enforcement policy and procedure for dealing with breaches of planning control.   The Highland Council has powers to enforce planning controls in cases where they have been breached, such as when development is carried out without planning permission, conditions of a planning permission or original plans are not complied with, or unauthorised work is conducted on Listed Buildings or protected trees.   ... [full story]

The Caithness and Sutherland Area Committee of Highland Council will continue to pursue its interests in the economic growth of the area when it discusses Workforce Development and Skills Training at its next meeting at the Assembly Rooms, Wick on Monday 20 May.   Councillor Deidre MacKay, Leader of the Area Committee said: “Members have received reports on the economic potential and current patterns of employment and unemployment in the area.   ... [full story]

First time homebuyers within The Highland Council area are set to benefit from the introduction of a mortgage guarantee scheme, using the Local Authority Mortgage Scheme model already successfully launched by a number of English councils.   The scheme aims to support up to 33 new homebuyers in the current year in getting on to the property ladder.   ... [full story]

Highland Council offers five new graduate opportunities.   Five graduates will soon get the opportunity to conduct a six-month internship with The Highland Council under the pilot ‘Graduate Intern Programme’ developed and led by the Council’s Planning and Development Service.   ... [full story]

Europe Day - EU Open Doors On 9 May 1950, Robert Schuman, the first President of the European Parliamentary Assembly, presented his proposal on the creation of an organised Europe, indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations.   This proposal, known as the 'Schuman declaration', is considered to be the beginning of the creation of what is now the European Union.   ... [full story]