Weekly update, 14th January 2019

Enabling activities:

Last week’s meeting of the North Coast 500 Working Group heard about the imminent launch of the Scottish Government’s Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund. The £5M Fund is being administered by Scottish Natural Heritage, and is open to organisations in the Highlands and Islands. It opened for applications this week, and the deadline for applications is 22^nd April. More information is at  https://www.snhpresscentre.com/news/gbp-5m-funding-boost-for-highlands-islands-tourism-1

Transport Scotland announced last week  that a £9.6M contract to carry out work on the A9 trunk road at the hairpin bend section at Berriedale Braes had been awarded to RJ Macleod. Local reaction to the news was reported this week at https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/News/Upgrade-should-just-be-the-start-16012019.htm     

It was good to meet the three new staff at Caithness Voluntary Group who will be working to identify inequalities issues across Caithness, as part of the Aspiring Communities programme. The work, which will take place in the localities agreed as part of the Caithness Community Planning Partnership. We are now planning to take forward locality meetings in February so that this engagement keeps moving forward.

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:

• CNSRP’s Independent Chair Ian Ross met with Highland Councillors in Caithness this week, and highlighted CNSRP partner activities, and potential future opportunities. I was also able to introduce Ian to Wick Harbour Authority’s Malcolm Bremner and to the Beatrice Offshore team at their control room at Wick Harbour. BOWL has this week been posting the first images of the inside of its Operations Base as construction nears completion on these 200 year old buildings. See https://twitter.com/beatricewind/status/1085853621802151936 for images.
• Good to see Scrabster Harbour Trust’s latest phase of redevelopment planning being covered in the press this week. I was happy to give the John O’ Groat Journal a welcome to the news, and highlighted that CNSRP partners HIE and Dounreay had been supporting the Trust to carry out investigation work. The Press and Journal’s piece is at https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/1652685/potential-50-job-boost-as-contractor-sought-over-17million-redevelopment-of-st-ola-pier-in-thurso/
• I mentioned last week that HIE is currently advertising for a full-time Senior Development Manager to work as part of our small Caithness & Sutherland Strengthening Communities team: having worked in Strengthening Communities in Caithness and Sutherland, I know just how rewarding the area of work can be. The advert has a closing date of 3^rd February. More details and application at http://www.hie.co.uk/about-hie/working-with-hie/job-opportunities.html
• I also mentioned last week that HIE is seeking to appoint a project administrator to support the work associated with the Sutherland UK Vertical Launch project. The post is advertised with a potential base in either Thurso or Inverness, and has a deadline for applications of 3^rd February. Application details are at http://www.hie.co.uk/about-hie/working-with-hie/job-opportunities.html