Highland Council

The Highland Council and NHS Highland are celebrating their joint achievement in attaining the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Gold accreditation. Chair of Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee, Cllr David Fraser said: “The Baby Friendly standards provide a roadmap for transforming care for all babies, their mothers and families. “The Gold Award is awarded to services that have embedded the Unicef Baby Friendly Achieving Sustainability standards. This means that future generations of babies, their mothers and families will continue to experience Baby Friendly standards of care. The Award recognises that the service is not only implementing the Baby Friendly Initiative standards, but that they also have the leadership, culture and systems to maintain this over the long term.” He added: “I would like to express my congratulations and thanks to the Health Visiting Teams, the Family Nurse Partnership and family support staff who have been accredited as a Gold Baby Friendly service. Achieving Gold in the Baby Friendly Initiative reflects a high level of dedication to supporting breastfeeding and the very many benefits that this brings. “It is a truly impressive achievement and demonstrates our longstanding commitment to supporting the wellbeing of families in Highland through approaches that achieve real, practical and lasting impact.” Karen MacKay, Senior Health Improvement Specialist (Infant Feeding Lead) for NHS Highland said: “This is a fantastic achievement for all involved in this award. Gold status requires a whole system approach and the use of testing quality improvement initiatives to support families with feeding and early infant behaviour. The annual reporting mechanism that is now required will further embed the great work that has been taking place in Highland.” Gold status specifically indicates sustainability of practice meaning the service has embedded Baby Friendly standards into its leadership, culture and daily practice. It is a significant accomplishment that reflects a services’ commitment to embedding practice that benefit infant health, parental wellbeing, and long-term public health outcomes for both parent and infant. Both the Council and NHS Highland first achieved full Baby Friendly accreditation from Unicef in 2013.

Several public drop-in sessions are being held across #Caithness during February with displays of options for the future masterplanning for the area. Council officers will be on hand to explain the proposals and answer any questions.  The content of each session will vary slightly, with a mix of displays focussing on the draft Caithness Area Place Plan, the Highland Investment Plan, the Highland Local Development Plan and the Visitor Levy consultation. Communities and Place Committee Chair, Cllr Graham MacKenzie said: “These collaborative community events are an excellent opportunity for the public to come along and find out more about the future masterplanning for the area and ask questions and suggest ideas. It also opens the opportunity to connect and discuss further partnership working within our communities.” The drop-in sessions are as follows: Wednesday 12 February 2025 - Public Engagement Drop In – Pulteney Centre, Wick -1000-1530 Tuesday 18 February 2025 - Public Engagement Drop In – Thurso Library – 1500-1930 Wednesday 26 February 2025 - Public Engagement Workshop – Lybster Community Hall - 1400-1700 For those who can’t attend any of the sessions, there will also be an on-line evening event on Wednesday 19 February 2025 – to book a place please click - https://lnkd.in/eZWfGV7Q Further information: https://lnkd.in/eKqnjcSR

A draft plan which sets out Highland’s commitment to achieve the aspirations of “The Promise” for care experienced children and families across the region has been scrutinised by Members of the Health Social Care and Wellbeing Committee. Chair of the Committee, Cllr David Fraser said: “As corporate parents - along with local partners and service providers - we have a duty to prepare, keep under review, and publish a corporate parenting plan. “I am therefore very pleased that Members have welcomed our first Promise Plan and have agreed that an annual report of the progress of the Plan will be submitted to committee for future scrutiny and assurance of Highland’s progress in achieving the aspirations of The Promise.” The Promise is that Scotland's children and young people will grow up loved, safe and respected. #KeepThePromise is a Scottish Government commitment that received support of all political parties in 2020. Organisations, institutions, bodies, communities, and groups across Scotland pledged to #KeepThePromise, including The Highland Council. The Highland Promise Plan (2025-2028) was commissioned by the Promise Board, which is a multi-agency partnership of corporate parenting leaders. The draft Promise Plan will also be presented to the Integrated Children’s Services Board (which is the key statutory partnership for Children’s Services across Highland) on 28 February 2025. Feedback from the Health Social Care and Wellbeing Committee and the Integrated Children’s Services Board will be incorporated into the final version of the Promise Plan. Once agreed, the final version of the Promise Plan will be implemented through corporate parenting partner delivery groups which will be monitored and evaluate by The Promise Board. The draft Promise Plan can be viewed on the Council’s website: https://lnkd.in/ewwj-9V6

Yesterday (Tuesday 4 February 2025) the Leader of The Highland Council Cllr Raymond Bremner along with the Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee Cllr Ken Gowans visited the depot of D&E Coaches following the completion of the deal for the council to acquire the business. There to meet them was the former owner Donald Mathieson, who started the business nearly 30 years ago with one minibus. Speaking to the media who were invited along to the depot yesterday afternoon he said: “We’ve taken the company as far as we can and I’m now ready to retire from the business. Moving forward, we feel that the Council taking on ownership is the best move for the company, and everyone concerned, including our staff and customers.” There will however still be a family connection to the business as Donald’s daughter Gayle McEwan is taking on the role of General Manager. The Council spends around £25m on school and public transport throughout the region, with well over 300 separate contracts. The last tendering round saw an increase of £8m in one financial year, which led to the Council setting up an in-house bus team. Council Leader Raymond Bremner said: “I see this deal very much as a positive move forward. D&E operate a significant number of school contracts for the Council, so we now can take ownership and look for opportunities in future tendering rounds to compete more effectively. However, I want to stress that we intend to operate D&E very much as a going concern so it’s business as usual. I wish Gayle all the very best in her role and we look forward to maintaining the legacy and service standards set by Donald and the whole team over the course of many years.”  Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “Purchasing D&E Coaches on behalf of Highland Council is a fantastic opportunity and offers us more flexibility moving forward. D&E is a well-established company, and we’re delighted to have reached a deal. We’re looking forward to working with the same team who have a wealth of experience which will be of great benefit to Highland Council.” Earlier in the day the Council launched its new shopper service – the “108 Shopper Bus”, which will run every Tuesday and Thursday starting at Torvean Park and Ride. The route will be going through all the housing areas along Sir Walter Scott Drive (Distributor Road) to include Holm Dell, Culduthel Mains, Slackbuie, Miller Street, Boswell Road. It will then pass through the back of Inshes Retail Park and then go through the UHI Campus to the Inverness Shopping Park. 📸 Pictured are L to R - General Manager Gayle McEwan, former owner and Managing Director Donald Mathieson, Council Leader Cllr Raymond Bremner and Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans.

The Highland Council is preparing a new and important planning document called the Highland Local Development Plan. The plan will ultimately be used to determine planning applications and steer future development and investment in your area. Three documents have just been published which will shape the plan and Highland’s future. First, we are inviting new development site suggestions to be considered for inclusion in the new plan. Speaking about the Call For Development Sites, Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “This is an important part of the evidence consultation and feedback is particularly encouraged from landowners, developers and communities that have land or building opportunities that they wish to promote for housing, industry or mixed-use development.” Nominated sites will need to be accompanied by sufficient supporting evidence in order to be fairly assessed. The Council will also be considering options for where Masterplan Consent Areas could be prepared. Second, we seek views on the evidence we’ve collated so far to inform preparation of the new plan. Scotland’s revised planning system now requires each council to prove the sufficiency and assess the implications of its evidence before preparing a plan for its area. Our Evidence Papers are now available for comment. We are asking if we’ve missed anything relevant and for views on the implications of that evidence. Finally, we have published our 2025 Development Plans Newsletter (https://lnkd.in/efkeeUkv) which provides more detail on how and when we will consult and engage on the new plan. Councillor Gowans added: “The approach we are taking in preparing a new single LDP for Highland is very much a collaborative one. We are encouraging the public, stakeholders, and organisations to provide us with their input and have a say on what evidence they think we should use before we get in to drafting the Plan itself.” “We want to engage people on the issues facing Highland communities right now so we can create a single strong, place based, people-focused and deliverable Local Development Plan that captures the distinct issues and priorities across our communities. I hope as many people as possible take up this invitation to get involved and help to shape the new Highland Local Development Plan.” Feedback from the consultation will help the Council prepare an ‘Evidence Report’, which will be submitted for independent review later in 2025, before a draft plan is prepared. Take part here: www.highland.gov.uk/hldp

Boundaries Scotland is responsible for carrying out reviews for the boundaries of 73 constituencies and eight regions in Scotland.   A second review of the Scottish Parliament Boundaries commenced in September 2022.   Boundaries Scotland marked the start of a further public consultation which runs for one month from 24 January to 24 February 2025.   For further information, please visit: https://lnkd.in/e2sRbM4x   For Higland Council Constituencies, as they are unchanged from the Further Proposals stage, Boundaries Scotland has agreed to adopt the Further Proposals as its Final Recommendations, subject to satisfactory constituencies being designed neighbouring areas.

Works have commenced on the exciting changes taking place at Whin Park in #Inverness. Leader of Inverness and Area, Cllr Ian Brown said: “I am very pleased to announce that works have started on the installation of new play equipment at the flagship Whin Park play area in Inverness.” Chair of Communities and Place Committee Cllr Graham MacKenzie added: “Play Works Ltd, the contractor for Jupiter Play and Leisure Ltd are now on site to install the exciting new range of play equipment.” Highland Council and Jupiter Play & Leisure Ltd have released artists impressions of what the new play equipment will look like, including a Loch Ness Monster, a wheelchair accessible Legend Seeker Playship, an adventure mound with tube slide and much more. Weather dependant, the target is to have the works completed for Easter 2025. The park will remain open during the works, but the main play area and a section of the car park in front of the shop will be closed to allow the works to progress. This also includes the main entrance ramped area to the park. The path network from the Ness Islands and the path at the side of the public toilets will also remain open enabling the public to view the works’ progress during this exciting period for this landmark location. Michael Hoenigmann, Managing Director of Jupiter Play & Leisure said: “We are delighted to have been chosen to design and build the new play area at Whin Park. This is an ambitious project which will be inclusive for all abilities while offering high play value and challenge. It's unique features including the Nessie Structure with Interactive Sona Arch will be hugely popular with families that visit the site. We look forward to working closely with the team at Highland Council to deliver this prestigious project.” Funding for the contract has been awarded by the Scottish Government Play Area Fund (£234,988) which was allocated to the redevelopment of the park by Members of the Inverness, Central, Ness-side, Millburn, and Inverness West Wards. In 2023, Inverness City Committee Members agreed £150,000 Inverness Common Good Funding; and in 2024 a further £100,000 from the Community Regeneration Fund towards the park development costs. Watch the video of before and during the current works.

The Highland Council’s Leader Councillor Raymond Bremner attended Scottish Cities Week in London (20-22 January) to promote investment opportunities in Inverness, the Highlands and the Highland Council area. Scottish Cities Week aims to provide a focused opportunity to create and develop long-term strategic partnerships, with a wide array of investors and developers. Its success is rooted in the cities working in collaboration with the Scottish and UK Government, via the Scottish Cities Alliance, to boost investor confidence and deliver a programme of activity promoting the benefits of investing in Scotland’s smart and sustainable cities. It also provides opportunities for Highland Council representatives to meet with government Ministers and Cabinet Secretaries and discuss matters of importance to the Highlands. The multi-day event is attended by national and international investors together with representatives from The Scottish Government, Scottish Development International and the Department for Business and Trade. This year’s event programme focused on seizing the unique opportunities related to our contribution towards the transition to net zero and other high growth businesses and sectors, driving place-based investment and innovation and enabling infrastructure.  The event coincides with the council’s recent launch of the new Invest Highland brand which is aimed at promoting the Highlands’ wealth of investment opportunities. Council Leader Cllr Raymond Bremner said: “The Highland region is really coming into its own and is attracting interest from all over the world. We have so much to offer inward investors and Scottish Cities Week is a great platform for showcasing the world class opportunities which exist throughout our area. Attracting investors to the region is essential to address societal challenges and unlock transformational change. “With representatives also attending from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, it helps demonstrate the successful partnerships we have in Highland and shows our ambition for the future.” 📸 Pictured is The Highland Council Leader, Councillor Raymond Bremner with the Secretary of State for Scotland, The Rt Hon Ian Murray MP and Allan Maguire, the Council’s Head of Development and Regeneration.

Highland Council appoints Chief Officers The Highland Council has appointed Ruth Fry as Chief Officer – Human Resources and Communications and Paul Reid as Chief Officer – Facilities and Fleet Management.

A series of engagement events have been set up so members of the public can take part in the current consultation process on the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme for Highland. The events come in a number of formats, including face-to-face informal drop-in sessions held in libraries and other civic spaces, to make it as convenient for people as possible to get involved and have their say. The Highland Council Convener, Councillor Bill Lobban said: “We are getting feedback from businesses in the tourism sector but we also need to hear the voices of individual members of the public. It is very important that the consultation is as encompassing as possible and all voices are heard. “We have set up these sessions in different formats at different times of day, to make it as easy as possible for people to have their say. We have also put together helpful FAQs on our website which explain aspects of the the proposal and are a good starting point for anyone wanting to find out more before filling in the on-line consultation document.” FAQs - https://lnkd.in/es6fR-kq The Public Library Community Drop-in Events will be an informal in-person drop-in opportunity to chat with Council staff on the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme and ask questions about the proposal or the consultation process. Public access computers will also be available on-site for members of the public to fill in the online consultation document, if required. • Nairn Library – 7 February 2025, 10:30-12:30 • Thurso Library – 18 February 2025, 14:00-19:30 (As part of a place-based planning event) • Fortrose Community Library – 19 February 2025, 10:00-12:00 • Fort William Library – 26 February 2025, 11:00-13:00 • Ullapool Community Library – 27 February 2025, 11:00 – 13:00 • Brora Library – 28 February 2025, 10:30 – 12:30 The Community Drop-in Events are as follows: • Inverness Archive Centre – 11 February 2025, 13:00 – 15:00 • Wick (Pulteney Centre) - 12 February 2025, 10:30 – 15:30 (As part of a place-based planning event) • Kingussie Courthouse – 13 February 2025, 1:30-3:00 • Kyle of Lochalsh Service Point – 20 February 2025, 11:00 – 13:00 They too will provide an informal in-person drop-in opportunity for members of the public to chat with Council staff on the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme and ask questions about the proposal or the consultation process. As well as these face-to-face events, two Community Webinars will take place. These will all begin with a formal online presentation from Council staff on the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme followed by the opportunity to ask questions about the proposal or the consultation process. • 25 February 2025, 16:00-17:00 • 13 March 2025, 11:00-12:00 More information: https://bit.ly/4hgmpoc