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
Climate Change - Top of the Agenda
The Highland Council is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 15% by 2010 over a baseline of 2004/5. A working group has been set up to oversee the reduction of our carbon footprint and to adapt our services to cope with the impact of climate change.
Already to date we have reduced our energy use in buildings by 14.2% and associated emissions by 14.99%.
The Council Carbon Management Plan aims to build upon
this success by incorporating energy, travel and waste into
tougher targets in line with the Climate Change (Scotland) Act.
It aims to:
- Reduce emissions
- Save money
- Promote awareness and behavioural change
- Explore new areas for action
- Demonstrate leadership.
Carbon Management is about good working practice, making budget efficiencies and promoting sustainable business. We now aim to reduce emissions by a further 12% by 2012.
Through energy reduction the Council has avoided just over £1.4m in energy costs. The Council's area covers a third of the Scottish land mass. Business travel costs the Council more than £4.9m in 2007/08. Staff travelled 13 million miles _ that's the equivalent of 500 times around the world! This is now being addressed and in the last year business travel reduced by 1 million miles. Firstly, a simple Travel Hierarchy document has been developed to assist staff and members to reduce CO2 emissions by carefully thinking about their need to travel, the modes available and alternative options such as phone calls, emails, telephone/video conferencing and car sharing. The Council also aims to reduce its internal waste by 50% by the end of 2010.
For more information please visit: www.highland.gov.uk/greencouncil
Great News on the Recycling Front
Recycling in the Highlands has taken another step forward in 2008/9, with the Council achieving a recycling rate of 32.73% of municipal solid waste. The target of 40% by 2010 is one objective the Council is aiming to achieve.
We have also reduced the tonnage to landfill by 4.47%. The total recycled was 52,737 tonnes, comprising 18,846 tonnes of composted material and 33,891 tonnes of other dry recycling.
10 social sector community partners contributed 4,143 tonnes, an increase of 5.26% from 2007/8.
Recycling takes place at:
- 21 manned recycling centres l 196 unmanned recycling points
- 2 operational landfill sites l 1 bulking station
The collection of household waste, along with kerbside services, are provided by the Council with 20% of waste going to the two Council landfill sites and 80% to privately owned landfill sites.
The Council introduced a blue bin kerbside recycling scheme to an additional 26,000 rural households in the last year - giving 95% of our residents the chance to recycle from the comfort of their own homes. This new service has been a roaring success - collecting 2,200 tonnes of paper, cardboard, cans and plastic bottles since it started in December of last year. Not to be outdone by their rural neighbours, our residents on the urban blue box/brown bin scheme are also playing their part. This scheme produced 4,063 tonnes of paper, 150 tonnes of cans and 13,243 tonnes of green waste in the year 2008/09.
To find out how you can play your part:
visit: www.highland.gov.uk - e-mail: recycle@highland.gov.uk - or call: 01349 868439
Inverlochy Shows the Way
Introducing biomass fuel technology in Council properties is part of the Council's programme for 2009 - 2011, which aims to increase the use of renewable micro generation technology sources. A good example is at Inverlochy Primary School where a £120,000 project has seen the conversion of oil fired heating to use wood chip. A further eight schools now operate biomass boilers, while 12 have solar water heating panels; 10 have solar electric panels in their roofs and four have the energy supplies supplemented by wind turbine.
100th Green Ambassador
The Council has enlisted its 100th Green Ambassador as the push for greening the Council continues. She is Sarah James-Gaukroger, an Administrative Assistant with Social Work Services at Kinmylies, Inverness.
Sarah is an enthusiastic green champion, who encourages colleagues to recycle, car share and follow the most sustainable options at work.
Scotland's First Housing Expo: www.scotlandshousingexpo.com
The Council is backing the UK's first sustainable housing expo, which will be held in Inverness throughout August 2010. Based on an established model found in Finland and mainland Europe, the Expo is set to put Scotland and the Highlands firmly on the map as a leader in sustainable living and provide a vision for the next generation of Scottish housing. 40% of the Expo homes will be affordable, with the remaining 60% available for sale on the open market.
Fully supported by the Scottish Government, The Highland Council and a consortium of agencies, Scotland's Housing Expo is a result of an architectural competition which selected the teams who have designed these innovative homes. The 55 Expo houses and their contents will form a platform for showcasing the wealth of Highland and Scottish design talent, including interior and product design. The initiative also provides a `test bed' for construction and technological innovation, which will inform Scottish house building in the future. The houses will inspire developers to learn new skills and source fresh ideas to incorporate into future designs, while demonstrating how new building standards can be met on energy efficiency and carbon reduction.
The Expo will be held on a site at Balvonie Braes, south east of Inverness, just off the A9. When it ends, the houses will be available to buy or rent and it will become a living community
Cairngorms National Park Authority
The public is being asked for its views on a proposal to reduce the number of members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority from 25 to 19 by October 2010.
The proposal follows a strategic review of National Parks in Scotland, which concluded that there was a clear case for reducing the size of the membership. It recommends that The Highland Council and Aberdeenshire Council nominate two members to the board, including one local member who lives in the Board area, while Moray, Angus and Perth and Kinross Councils nominate one member to the Board.
Ministerial appointees will be the same as the total number of local authority nominees ie 7. The number of directly elected members will remain unchanged at 5. The public is asked to send responses by 18 January to:
National Parks and Outdoor Recreation Branch, Landscapes and Habitats Division, Rural Directorate,
The Scottish Government, 1-A North, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ
or email: Nationalparks@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Allotments
As well as providing low-cost fresh food, allotment gardening can deliver a wide range of benefits. These range from the health benefits of outdoor exercise and eating fresh food, the mental wellbeing and social benefits of doing it as part of a community-led project, to the environmental benefits from reduced food miles, smaller carbon footprints and improved biodiversity.
To find out more about the
Council's allotment policy:
e-mail: policy6@highland.gov.uk
How do we perform?
- A new Carbon Management Plan is in place with actions set to 2012 including a communication plan and work started towards implementation of Carbon Reduction Commitment.
- During 2008/9 a further 12 communities were assisted with renewable energy projects bringing the total number to 36 from a baseline of 24 in 2007/8.
- The Council has achieved a 14.99% reduction in energy use from 2004-5 baselines and a 14.2% reduction in CO2 emissions. The Council has avoided £1.4m of energy costs since 2005 through reduction and efficiency measures.
- Green travel planning web pages have been developed for staff, public sector partners and businesses across Highland.
- Waste recycling increased from 26.1% in 2006/7 to 32.73% in 2008/9.
- The amount of municipal waste collected that is land filled continues to reduce from a baseline of 73.9% in 2006/7 to 66.8% in 2008/9.
- The Cleanliness Index (sample of streets and land) has improved from 71% in
- 2006/7 to 76% in 2008/9.
- Biodiversity groups have been established and a programme is supporting 24 local projects over 3 years utilising Lottery Fund monies.
- Flood Prevention Orders and planning permission for Inverness South West (SW) channel and River Ness are in place. Construction on SW channel due to commence spring 2010.