Welcome to the third edition of our annual performance report, which highlights our performance and some of our achievements and challenges over the past 12 months.
The performance is set out in the five themes of Strengthening the Highlands - the Council's programme for action over the next three years namely:
What we will do for Children and Families
What we will do for Communities and Older People | What we will do for the Economy
What we will do to make the Council more Effective and Efficient
What we will do for our Environment
Maintaining Essential Council Services
The budget gap facing The Highland Council from 2010/11 _ 2012/13 is estimated at £60 million. Savings targets of 5%, 6% and 6% have been set for each of these years. These targets should identify £80 million, giving elected members options for the savings they need to make. £10m of savings have already been agreed for 2010/11, so the Council has plans already in place to assist with the budget for this financial year.
A number of reviews are underway to identify how best we can deliver services more efficiently.
The 2010/11 budget will be set in February 2010.
No doubt there will be much said and written in the media as we wrestle with the challenges of the budget. Our commitment is to maintain and protect the essential services that you have identified in successive surveys of the public on our performance.
State of the Art Archive and Registration Centre
The new Highland Archive and Registration Centre has opened for business at Bught Road, Inverness. The £10.5 million centre includes an archive conservation unit, a dedicated family history centre, a ceremony suite and modern office accommodation. In addition, specialist atmospheric and environmental controls have been installed to safeguard the storage of parchment, paper and records in other formats allowing the return of archives to the Highlands presently stored in Edinburgh.
The state of the art complex has replaced the former archive service provided at Inverness Library, Farraline Park and the registration service at Moray House, Bank Street, Inverness. There is a regular bus service to the centre from the city centre. There is ample free parking.
The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded the project a grant of £4,312,000 and the building was constructed by Morrison Construction, part of the Galliford Try group.
Flagship Facility at Drummond School, Inverness
The £14 million Drummond School, Inverness, was formally opened by the HRH The Earl of Wessex KG, KCVO, on Monday 23 November. The school signifies a real investment by the Council in the educational needs and aspirations of young people with additional needs. It is very much a flagship facility of which the Council is extremely proud. It caters for 79 pupils, who range in age from 3-18. It is one of the 11 projects undertaken by the Council in its second Education Public Private Partnership.