Latest news with #RaymondBremner
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Funding secured for Wick High Street regeneration
Plans to redesign Wick High Street have received a share of more than £26m from Transport Scotland (TS).The more than £2m, secured through the Scottish government's Active Travel Infrastructure Fund, is to be used to to make it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle through the town plans are part of a wider regeneration project to boost the fortunes of the town, which has suffered from economic and social change over the last few Council leader Raymond Bremner said: "This has been long awaited and we were never sure in the challenging financial times if we would ever be successful." A number of other projects in the region have also been selected to benefit from the includes the busy Raigmore Interchange in Inverness which will see a £2m upgrade to make it safer for all road Council has also been awarded funding to deliver the Culbokie Active Travel Village project on the Black tendering process has begun for the Wick and Culbokie projects with work expected to be completed by the end of March 2026.
The National
12-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Highlands can secure '£100bn and over 18,000 jobs via renewables'
The research found it could even outstrip the peak of the North Sea oil and gas era. The report only looked at 251 large-scale projects and does not include analysis of the economic impacts on the wider supply chain – including industries such as tourism and food and drink, as well as public-sector spending. Stuart Black, the chief executive of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), said the region could become the 'engine room' for growing the Scottish economy. READ MORE: Labour MP slapped down over claim UK-US trade deal 'great for Scotland' 'We know there's a lot to get right. Bringing these projects to fruition means addressing some serious challenges facing the region and a strong commitment to partnership,' he said. 'But the sheer scale of the potential prize from these efforts makes all that very worthwhile, and that's where our focus should be. 'The report will be crucial in informing decisions around things like planning and investment in order to realise as much of the potential benefits as possible.' Councillor Raymond Bremner, chairman of the Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnership (HIREP), added: 'We stand on the brink of a once-in-a-generation opportunity for economic transformation. 'This scale of opportunity is unprecedented for the Highlands and islands, and possibly for Scotland and the UK.' The document will be discussed on Monday at the Convention of the Highlands and Islands in Strathpeffer. The meeting will be attended by Deputy First Minister Katw Forbes. The research was carried out by Ekosgen and was commissioned by HIE and HIREP.
BBC News
27-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Council tax rise of 7% proposed for Highland
Highland Council has proposed raising council tax by 7%.Annual bills for an average band D property would be £1,527.09 if the increase is approved by councillors at a meeting on 6 local authority said 2% of all council tax raised would be invested in schools and improving Bill Lobban said the council was proposing a three-year budget plan that would lead to financial security for the authority. Council tax levels were frozen last its plan, Highland Council said it would spend £2m to fund an increase in numbers of has also proposed creating a £6m fund to expand its bus this month, the local authority completed a deal to take over an Inverness-based company that provides a significant number of its school local authority said buying D&E Coaches would reduce its school transport costs, and also help in its efforts to improve local bus council spends about £25m a year on school and public transport included in Highland's budget plan is a £500,000 fund to support community-based recycling schemes. Council leader Raymond Bremner said the proposed investment programme would create jobs and economic prosperity across the Lobban added: "These budget proposals underline our steadfast journey towards our objective of financial sustainability. "They would also ensure Highland Council will not require to use reserves to balance its budget and therefore is taking a major step on its pathway to financial security, which will be of great reassurance to our 10,000 employees."
