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The Caithness Partnership
Newsletters
November 2006
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Caithness Partnership – eBulletin November 2006 Welcome to another edition of the Caithness Partnership ebulletin. The bulletin both circulates information that has come in to the Partnership office, and is a tool for the Partners to share information. If you have anything you want included in the next issue please don’t hesitate to get in touch. If you have difficulty accessing any of the web links we can send you information on paper. Please forward the bulletin within your organisation if appropriate. Inside
this issue: The Highland Wellbeing Alliance partners at regional level have had a rethink on community planning and how the agenda will fit with reorganisation of the Highland Council. Seven areas of partnership lines of business have been identified and a proposal has been made for changes at a pan-Highland level which involves rationalizing partnership working. For detail of this see http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/news/whatsnew/beyond2007.htm SIMD results 2006 show two more of
Scotland most deprived data zones are in Caithness. Scottish Executive
recently announced the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation figures
for 2006 revealing that two areas in Wick that were previously amongst
the worst 20% in Scotland have now moved into the bottom 15% most
deprived areas in Scotland. Figures from 2004 showed that only one area
of Wick (part of Upper Pulteneytown zone SO1003977) was at this level
whereas this year a further zone in upper Pulteneytown (SO1003976) and a
zone in north Wick (SO1003977) have been shown to have edged further
down the deprivation scale. Caithness Community Council Elections – elections for new community councils throughout Caithness are currently taking place. Nomination forms are available from the Highland Council Service Points in Wick and Thurso or by phoning 01955607791. Nomination forms must be received by the returning officer, Highland Council Caithness Area Manager Ian Hargrave by 4.00pm on Thursday 9 November. Highlands & Islands Enterprise Annual Report
2005/6– find out what happened across the HIE Network, highlights
for each area, and the local enterprise companies’ priorities for
2006/7. Go to Highland Council Beyond 2007 DEFRA response to the Report and
Recommendations from the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) Having trouble with your water? From 1 April 2006 Waterwatch Scotland assumed greatly extended powers including acting as an ombudsman role, investigating complaints on behalf of domestic and business customers, representing the views and interests of all water customers, making statutory recommendations and influencing policy. See www.waterwatchscotland.org for more information Changes in fire safety law – from 1
October 2006 fire safety law changed in Scotland in that anyone with
control to any extent of non-domestic premises are required to take
steps to prevent fire and mitigate the detrimental effects of a fire on
the premises. The principles of the regime and legal responsibilities
are laid out here. Better check it out if you are responsible for any
non domestic premises. A draft of the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency’s Socio-Economic Policy has gone out for consultation until 19 January 2007. The NDA recognizes that the lead for socio-economic regeneration lies with the established socio-economic organisations in the localities, such as Local Authorities, Regional Development Agencies, Enterprise Networks, etc. and does not intend to usurp or compete with these organisations. Rather, NDA intends to support and partner them in developing and in some cases financing proposals that will have a long-term socio-economic benefit in those areas affected by decommissioning. A Socio-Economic Sub-committee of the NDA Board is being set up to receive and consider funding proposals from such organisations. Find the consultation document at http://www.nda.gov.uk/Our_Business--Socio-Economic_Policy_-_Draft_for_Consultation_2006_(1950).aspx?pg=1950 SEPA’s new flood map – could the area you
live be threatened with flooding? Check the new flood map prepared by
SEPA on FUNDING BIG Lottery fund in Scotland £300 to £10,000 is available to create, maintain
or improve local breathing places Scotland unLTD is offering to resource
emerging social entrepreneurs with a grant of up to £5,000 and for
rising social entrepreneurs there is potential of an award of up to
£20,000. For full details see The National eWell-Being Awards are the only UK-based awards that recognise uses of ICT that deliver social and/or environmental benefits. Since its inception in 2002 the Awards programme has attracted over 400 high quality entries across a range of categories, highlighting the importance and potential of ICT to benefit organisations, the environment and peoples’ lives. For more information see http://www.sustainit.org/ewell-being-awards/index.php EVENTS 21 November 2006 (afternoon), Highland
Council Chambers, Inverness. 28 November 2006, Glasgow. An Agenda for Regeneration in Scotland examining the key issues contained in the Scottish Executive’s regeneration strategy and what actually works on the ground. http://www.holyrood.com/conference.asp 30 November 2006, Edinburgh. Sharing the Celtic Experience: different approaches to community planning. 3 years after the 2003 Local Government in Scotland Act placed a statutory duty on local authorities to prepare a community plan with other service providers and the communities they serve how is the process evolving? What differing models have evolved? What can Scotland learn from its neighbours in Ireland and Wales? If you think these are good questions got to: http://www.ultrasoft.hostinguk.com/mackayhannah/CelticPlan.pdf 30 November 2006, Enterprise House,
Dundee. World Class Scottish Projects. How to deliver a world class
project featuring some of Scotland’s best. Each presentation will give
an industry overview outlining Scotland’s competitive position, future
developments, opportunities and economic benefits (industries to be
discussed include science & technology and renewable energies). For more
details see 1 December 2006, University of Central Lancashire. Sustainable communities? Decommissioning and the future of Sellafield and Dounreay a one day conference looking at the implications of decommissioning on the two communities, discussion of how to make communities sustainable, influencing a future programme of collaboration between Caithness and West Cumbria. For more information see http://www.westlakes.org/live/docs/events/sust_comm.pdf 6 December 2006 Blair Atholl. Business and biodiversity – biodiversity can benefit rural businesses and the Scottish economy and business can contribute to biodiversity. http://www.snh.org.uk/calendar/oct.asp for full details. 6 December 2006, Glasgow. Scotland’s changing NHS: the Kerr report 18 months on. NHS service reform is reputedly the most contentious issue in Scottish public policy. The publication of the Kerr report, Building a health service fit for the future, 18 months ago was supposed to respond to public protests about local service changes by creating a shared national vision of how Scotland’s health services should adapt and develop for the 21st century. The Scottish Executive and NHS leaders back Professor Kerr’s prescription for change, but the public and politicians apparently remain far from convinced and local communities continue to demonstrate their anger and concern. The future of local health services looks likely to be a key argument in many constituencies during next year’s Scottish Parliament election campaign. See www.holyrood.com/conference.asp for more details. |