Latest news with #HelenCrawford
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Highland schools asked to discuss pupils' phone use
Highland Council has asked schools in its area to have discussions round pupils' use of mobile phones in classrooms. The local authority said excessive use of phones was a "significant issue". Bans are already in force at Nairn Academy and Grantown Grammar School. Last month, councillors unanimously backed a proposal from Labour's Michael Gregson and Conservative's Helen Crawford for a wider consultation to be held. More stories from the Highlands and Islands News from the Highlands and Islands on BBC Sounds Mr Gregson and Ms Crawford said phones were having a disruptive effect on children and their education. The proposal agreed by councillors included a commitment from the local authority to support schools that decided to ban the devices. Other Scottish schools have taken steps to limit access to phones in class time. Pupils at two high schools in Edinburgh are having to keep their mobiles in lockable pouches during the day under a new phone-free policy. Students at Portobello High School and Queensferry High School are being issued with special wallets which once sealed require a magnetic pad to unlock them. Pupils are allowed to keep their phones in their possession but will be expected to keep them in the pouches until the bell rings at the end of their final lesson. Moray councillors voted last month to bring in stricter guidelines limiting the use of mobiles in schools from August. Councillors hoped the move would reduce disruption in the classroom, as well as stop some incidents of bullying. Scottish government guidance allows head teachers to make their own decisions on mobile phone use but Moray Council has decided to introduce blanket guidance. Moray's new policy would have exemptions for medical use such as diabetes monitoring. In August, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said headteachers across Scotland were trusted to take the best decisions in the interests of their school communities. The Highland Council
BBC News
5 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Highland schools asked to discuss pupils' phone use
Highland Council has asked schools in its area to have discussions round pupils' use of mobile phones in local authority said excessive use of phones was a "significant issue". Bans are already in force at Nairn Academy and Grantown Grammar month, councillors unanimously backed a proposal from Labour's Michael Gregson and Conservative's Helen Crawford for a wider consultation to be held. Mr Gregson and Ms Crawford said phones were having a disruptive effect on children and their proposal agreed by councillors included a commitment from the local authority to support schools that decided to ban the Scottish schools have taken steps to limit access to phones in class at two high schools in Edinburgh are having to keep their mobiles in lockable pouches during the day under a new phone-free at Portobello High School and Queensferry High School are being issued with special wallets which once sealed require a magnetic pad to unlock are allowed to keep their phones in their possession but will be expected to keep them in the pouches until the bell rings at the end of their final councillors voted last month to bring in stricter guidelines limiting the use of mobiles in schools from hoped the move would reduce disruption in the classroom, as well as stop some incidents of government guidance allows head teachers to make their own decisions on mobile phone use but Moray Council has decided to introduce blanket new policy would have exemptions for medical use such as diabetes August, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said headteachers across Scotland were trusted to take the best decisions in the interests of their school communities.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Parents to be consulted on phones in Highland schools
Highland Council plans to consult parents and school staff on pupils' use of mobile phones in Academy and Grantown Grammar School have already introduced have now unanimously backed a proposal from Labour's Michael Gregson and Conservative's Helen Crawford for a wider Gregson and Ms Crawford said phones were having a disruptive effect on children and their education. The proposal includes a commitment from the local authority to support schools that decide to ban the devices. Inverness councillor Mr Gregson, who is a former teacher at Inverness Royal Academy, said phones were part of "an age of fragmented attention spans".Aird and Loch Ness councillor Ms Crawford raised concerns about phones being used to take photos or videos of teachers in classrooms, and the material then being used to bully or embarrass staff. She added: "At the end of the day, we want all our kids to thrive and having the constant distraction of a mobile phone clearly does not help."Let's get these phones out of our schools and let's free up our kids to concentrate and learn."Highland Council has 29 secondary schools, three special schools and more than 170 primary schools. Lockable pouches Plans for the consultation follows pupils at two high schools in Edinburgh having to keep their mobiles in lockable pouches during the day under a new phone-free at Portobello High School and Queensferry High School are being issued with special wallets which once sealed require a magnetic pad to unlock are allowed to keep their phones in their possession but will be expected to keep them in the pouches until the bell rings at the end of their final councillors voted earlier this month to bring in stricter guidelines limiting the use of mobiles in schools from hoped the move would reduce disruption in the classroom, as well as stop some incidents of government guidance allows head teachers to make their own decisions on mobile phone use but Moray Council has decided to introduce blanket new policy would have exemptions for medical use such as diabetes by local democracy journalist Will Angus.
Scotsman
30-04-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Interactive map shows all 1,300 major renewable energy developments across Scottish Highlands
There are more than 1,300 records of applications on the Highland map. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A map showing all major developments related to renewable energy in the Scottish Highlands has gone live. The digital feature on the Highland Council website shows what already exists on the ground, but also projects that are in planning process. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad These include pump storage, wind farm, energy storage, transmission grid, transmission switching substations and convertor infrastructure, hydro and other relevant developments. A total of 1,305 records of applications are included in the map, which provides key information for each development with a link to each planning case file. New map shows all major renewable developments in Highlands | Highland Council The move comes after councillor Helen Crawford (Conservative), of Aird and Highland Ward, lodged a motion last year calling for a real time map of such developments. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The council had separate interactive maps online for wind farms and hydro developments, but Cllr Crawford said they were 'woefully inadequate and out of date' and that no map showed the entire planning picture when it came to renewables. Councillor Helen Crawford (Conservative), of Aird and Highland Ward | Helen Crawford Councillors from all parties agreed to fund the map in September last year, with the move gaining support of more than 60 community councils across the Highlands. Cllr Crawford said: 'It's taken over six months to get this. I understand the mapping is not perfect by any means and, having spoken to some communities, there are still some major developments not on there. 'I think more information and more sophisticated visual GIS layers can be added, but this is at least a very welcome start.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Cllr Crawford said a loan of about £90,000 was used for the technical creation of the map, which she was not involved in. She said: 'Up until now, people have tried to make maps on their own as volunteers in their communities. But this is the sort of thing that should be done by our local authority. 'It's a democratic deficit and glaring deficit that it hasn't been done before now. This map, with a bit more improvement, gives an overview and an authoritative overview of the enormity of the applications. A picture is worth a thousand words.' Cllr Ken Gowans, chairman of the council's economy and infrastructure committee, said 'This is an incredible piece of work that will assist our communities greatly with finding a significant amount of information related to energy related development within Highland in one map.'
BBC News
08-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Permission granted for 66-bed residential home in Bourne
Permission has been given for a 66-bed residential home for the elderly to be built in Bourne. LNT Care Developments has been granted planning permission by South Kesteven District Council to demolish a house in Tarragon Way and build the care home in its to officers, the development will be in a H-shape layout, with parking for 30 a meeting last week, LNT Care's senior planning manager, Jo Kemp, said the two-storey facility would generate between 50 and 60 jobs for local people. She added: "It would provide a multi-million pound investment into the area and become a key part of the local community, forming links with schools and community groups, as well as business opportunities for local contractors and suppliers, which will last well beyond the construction phase."According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, ward councillor Helen Crawford claimed the "majority of residents had no issue with the location of the care home", but added some were concerned about access to the home and parking. She added: "I still have concerns with the entrance on Coriander Drive, with the residents who park, and the additional HGVs that will have to go through that part of the estate."I also do not think that there is enough parking, as I would hate for future visitors and workers to end up parking on the estate."The planning committee supported the development, but placed conditions on the applicant to submit a travel plan and a construction for the development have not been to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
