Weekly update, 16th August

Energy/ Business Services:

Scrabster Harbour’s new pier continues to attract business from the energy sector. Following usage of the pier by large oil support vessels the most recent use was by Orkney renewables company Scotrenewables Tidal Power Ltd, whose prototype tidal device was taken out of the water at Scrabster for scheduled operations and maintenance work. http://www.hie.co.uk/about-hie/news-and-media/archive/energy-first-for-revamped-scrabster-harbour.html

The final element of the Beatrice Works project takes place on Thursday next week with a presentation by Allan MacAskill, one of the original developers of the Beatrice offshore wind demonstrator turbines in the Moray Firth. The event, which is sponsored by the Institution of Engineering & Technology, will take place in Caithness Horizons at 7.30pm on Thursday 22^nd August.

Enabling Activities:

The Partnership’s Delivery Group met this week to consider the partners’ strategic priorities beyond 2014, with a view to providing recommendations to the Partnership’s Advisory and Executive Boards.

Communications:

As part of an ongoing process of helping communicate progress with the delivery of aspects of our economic transition programme CNSRP’s partners work together to generate news stories for local, regional and national media. I also speak on a regular basis to individuals and organisations across the area to update on progress. This week:

•  Next week a short update on CNSRP will be discussed at the meeting of the  Caithness & Sutherland Area Committee of the Highland Council. The update paper, which looks at Community Planning Partnerships in Caithness and Sutherland, is at http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3AFD770F-E8C0-419D-A02B-065B3B63FB44/0/Item6CS2513.pdf and the meeting will be webcast at http://www.highland.public-i.tv/core
• A CNSRP response to the press release issued by the GMB Union is available to view at http://www.cnsrp.org.uk/2013/08/15/cnsrp-statement-on-gmb-press-release