Highland councillors are being asked to approve a 7% rise in council tax.
The local authority says 5% would go towards supporting vital services with the remaining 2% for the Highland Investmen Plan which focuses on schools, roads and infrastructure.
The proposed rise matches last year’s figure. Councillors are due to vote on the proposals on Thursday 5 March.
It would mean the annual cost for a band D property would rise to £1,634. That’s up from £1,527 last year.
If passed, the rise will take effect from 1 April. It comes after Comhairle nan Eilean Siar agreed a hike of 8.5% this week.
The full Highland Council budget proposals are available online.
Leader of the Council, Cllr Raymond Bremner, said:
“The administration is proposing a budget which increases income, directs support to those who need it, and delivers investment and sustainable growth across our communities. Through our Highland Investment Plan, we will deliver long-term capital improvements to our school estate and local infrastructure. Alongside this, a balanced package of savings and income generation measures will enable continued investment in the services people care about most, including adult social care, housing, and workforce development, as well as targeted support for young people and families experiencing poverty or barriers to learning.
“I’m particularly proud to bring forward a budget which includes a recurring £1 million grant and loan scheme to incentivise owners of long-term empty properties to bring them back into use as principal homes, helping to improve housing availability in local communities. A proposal to provide £7 million of additional investment to support the change and transformation work required in adult social care to develop a sustainable model, will also help ensure people can live independently in their own homes as long as possible.”
Convener of the Council, Cllr Bill Lobban, said:
“Councils continue to operate in a challenging financial environment, with significant pressures associated with the costs of delivering services, pay awards, inflation, and interest rates. We have taken a proactive approach to meeting this challenge – moving from a £108 million budget gap three years ago to becoming one of Scotland’s most effective local authorities when it comes to managing financial pressures, increasing income, and diversifying revenue streams, without relying on reserves to balance budgets. While the Scottish Government grant funding to Highland Council in 26/27 represents a small cash increase, it is unlikely to be repeated in future years and falls short of what COSLA asked for to meet service demand. This makes our robust approach to financial management, transformation, and long-term planning, which has been recognised by Audit Scotland, even more critical.”
PORTREE LINK ROAD
Scottish Water has said work will start in the coming weeks to divert a water main ahead of the Portree Link Road construction.
The £1.9million project will connect the A87 and A855, easing the volume of traffic going through the centre of Portree.
Highland Council has told Radio Skye the road is expected to be completed by the Autumn.
CROFTING
Changes to the new Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill have been welcomed by the Scottish Crofting Federation.
The body says a number of key improvements have been made to the legislation, including stronger rules on environmental use, tighter compliance for owner occupiers, and new measures to prevent the unauthorised splitting of grazing shares.
But concerns remain over changes affecting common grazing. The Federation is warning against landowners being given more scope to object, potentially weakening the position of working crofters.
SCF Chief Executive, Donna Smith, said:
“Whilst we very much welcome the general path this Bill is taking, we will be urging the government to consider making significant changes to the Bill at stage 3 with respect to crofter led environmental initiatives on common grazings to ensure that any benefits derived from these belong to active crofters.
“The concern is that without this, there is a real risk that “green” lairds will take advantage of the situation and will try to force crofters into unfair agreements over carbon credits. We look forward to continuing constructive dialogue with both the Government and cross party MSPs over the coming weeks on these matters.”
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
FALASGAIR
Scottish Fire and Rescue has reminded crofters and land managers on Skye, Raasay and Lochalsh to take care around controlled burning.
The service is urging anyone planning a burn to notify the fire control room in advance, have a clear burn plan in place, and make sure enough people are available to manage the fire safely.
They’re also advising land managers to check weather conditions, ensure proper fire breaks are in place, and never leave a fire unattended until it’s fully extinguished.
Scottish Fire and Rescue has said anyone whose burn gets out of control should call 999 immediately.
RNLI
Volunteers at Portree RNLI have been involved in rescuing a person who fell in a remote sea cave on the Trotternish coast, once used as a hiding place by Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The Crew of the Stanley Watson Barker worked alongside the Scottish Ambulance Service and a Coastguard helicopter to bring the casualty to safety.
It comes after a busy week for the lifeboat, which was also launched on Tuesday in response to reports of flares near Dunvegan Head that turned out to be a false alarm.
MÒD
Entries are open for this year’s Royal National Mòd which is to be held in Glasgow in October. It’s the 12th time the city has hosted the event. Organisers are asking competitors – young and old – to come forward.
Iain Cormack, a former Mòd Gold Medal winner and newly installed conductor of the Portree Gaelic Choir said:
“On a personal level I’m very much looking forward to the National Mòd. I’m looking forward to being back in Glasgow for it. Obivoulsy a new challenge for me on a personal level conducting the Portree Gaelic Choir for the first time but we’ve made a pretty good start. We’re making good progress with our puirt à beul and also our own choice for the Margrat Duncan Memorial Trophy and we’re looking forward to starting on the prescribed piece in the coming weeks.”