Agendas, reports and minutes

A meeting of the Highland Council will be held in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday 26 June 2025 at 9.35am.

Webcast Notice: This meeting will be filmed and broadcast over the Internet on the Highland Council website and will be archived and available for viewing for 12 months thereafter.

You are invited to attend the meeting and a note of the business to be considered is attached.

Yours faithfully

Stewart Fraser 
Chief Officer - Legal and Corporate Governance

Business

1. Calling of the Roll and Apologies for Absence
Gairm a’ Chlàir agus Leisgeulan

2. Declarations of Interest/Transparency Statement
Foillseachaidhean Com-pàirt/Aithris Fhollaiseachd

Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting.  Any Member making a declaration of interest should provide some information on the nature of the interest and leave the meeting at the appropriate time.  Advice may be sought from officers prior to the meeting taking place.

3. Annual Accounts for the Year to 31 March 2025 and Revenue and Capital Outturn for the year
Cunntasan Bliadhnail airson na Bliadhna gu 31 Màrt 2025 agus Teachd-a-steach is Calpa Làithreach airson na Bliadhna

There is circulated Report No. HC/18/25 by the Chief Officer – Corporate Finance.

The Council is asked to:

I.  receive and approve for issue the unaudited Annual Accounts for the Highland Council, Highland Council Charitable Trust Funds and the Highland Council Pension Fund for the year ended 31 March 2025 and note that these will be presented to the appointed auditor by the prescribed date of the 30 June 2025; and
ii. note the revenue and capital out-turn for the 2024/25 financial year, subject to audit, as set out in section 7 and 8 of the report.

4. Highland Council Best Value Report
Aithisg Luach as Fheàrr Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd

There is circulated Report No. HC/19/25 by the Chief Executive.

The Council is asked to:

i.   note the change in approach to the audit of Best Value as set out in section 5 of the report;
ii.  consider and agree the Council’s Best Value report attached as Appendix 1 to the report with a summary of the key findings provided at section 6.3 of the report;
iii. agree the Council response at section 7 of the report; and
iv.  note the statutory requirements set out at section 8 of the report.

Item 5 below will be considered at 12.45pm.

5. Presentation – Director of Public Health – Annual Report 
Taisbeanadh - Stiùiriche Slàinte Phoblaich – Aithisg Bhliadhnail

Dr Tim Allison, NHS Highland Director of Public Health and Health Policy will give a presentation on the NHS Highland Director of Public Health Annual Report, a copy of which is available at the link below: 

Annual Report of the Director of Public Health 2024 - Health Inequalities

The Council is asked to note the 2024 Director of Public Health Annual Report.

6. Highland Investment Plan and Thurso Masterplan Update
Plana Tasgaidh na Gàidhealtachd – Fios às Ùr mu Phrìomh Phlanadh Inbhir Theòrsa

There is circulated Report No. HC/20/25 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place.

The Council is asked to:

i.   approve the work to date on progressing the Highland Investment Plan workstreams and in developing a masterplan for Thurso;
ii.  agree to nominate the current Thurso High School site as the preferred location for the new Thurso Community POD and that a public drop-in event will be held after the summer holiday period to allow the Thurso community to consider this proposal and provide feedback; and 
iii. agree the proposed changes to the Scheme of Delegation and Contract Standing Orders identified in Section 6 of the report.

7. Highland Housing Challenge – Partnership Action Plan
Dùbhlan Taigheadais na Gàidhealtachd – Plana-gnìomha Com-pàirteachais

There is circulated Report No. HC/21/25 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place.

The Council is asked to:

i.   consider and note the update on the Highland Housing Challenge, including the Seminar held on Friday 6 June 2025;
ii.  agree the Highland Housing Challenge Partnership Action Plan found within Appendix 2 to the report;
iii. agree the Highland Regional Skills Plan found within Appendix 4 to the report;
iv.  agree to assimilate the Highland Housing Challenge Action Plan into the Operational Delivery Plan; and 
v.   note that a further seminar on building developer capacity will be established later in 2025 and will be reported to a future Housing and Property Committee. 

8. Exclusion of the Public
Às-dùnadh a’ Phobaill

The Council is asked to resolve that, under Section 50A(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the public should be excluded from the meeting for item 9 only on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 6 and 9 of Part 1 of Schedule 7A of the Act.

9. North Coast Care Facility
Goireas Cùraim a’ Chosta a Tuath

There is circulated to Members only Report No. HC/22/25 by the Assistant Chief Executive – Place.

The Council is asked to agree the recommendations as set out in the report.

10. Membership of the Council 
Ballrachd na Comhairle 

The Council is advised that, following By-Elections for Wards 6 and 10 held on 19 June 2025, the undernoted were elected as Members of the Council: 

Ward 6: Mr Richard Cross
Ward 10: Ms Christine Gillies

11. Membership of Committees, etc
Ballrachd air Comataidhean, msaa   

The Council is asked to:

i.   note the substitute member for Ward 10 (Eilean a' Cheò) on the North Planning Applications Committee (to be tabled);
ii.  agree that the appointment of the Leader of the Council, the Leader of the Opposition and Chair of Health, Social Care and Wellbeing be appointed to the Models of Integration Steering Group; and
iii. agree the membership of the Poverty and Equality Commission as follows:

1. Mr R Gale
2. Ms M Hutchison
3. Mr A Mackintosh
4. Mrs M Ross
5. Ms K Willis

12. Timetable of Meetings
Clàr-ama Choinneamhan

The Council is asked to agree:

i.   that a Special meeting of the Council be held on 18 September 2025;
ii.  that the Dingwall and Seaforth Area Committee on 24 November 2025 be rescheduled to 27 November 2025; and
iii. the calendar of meetings from 1 July to 30 September 2026 as circulated.

13. Deeds Executed
Sgrìobhainnean Lagha a Bhuilicheadh

There is circulated for noting a list of deeds and other documents executed on behalf of the Council since the meeting held on 15 May 2025.

14. Recess Powers
Cumhachdan Fosaidh

The Council is invited to agree that, during the recess period, powers should be granted to the Chief Executive and Assistant Chief Executives, in consultation with the Convener, Leader of the Council, relevant Committee Chair and the Leader of the Opposition, to deal with issues arising during that time and that a report should be prepared for the first meeting of the Council or relevant Committee following the period where these powers have been exercised.

15. Confirmation of Minutes 
Daingneachadh a’ Gheàrr-chunntais

There are submitted for confirmation as a correct record the Minutes of Meeting of the Council held on 15 May 2025 and Special meetings on 29 May 2025 and 12 June 2025 as contained in the Volume which has been circulated separately.

16. Minutes of Meetings of Committees
Geàrr-chunntasan Choinneamhan Chomataidhean

There are submitted for confirmation as correct records, for information as regards delegated business and for approval as appropriate, the Minutes of Meetings of Committees contained in Volume circulated separately as undernoted:-

Black Isle and Easter Ross Committee, 12 May 2025
Lochaber Area Committee, 12 May 2025
City of Inverness Area Committee, 19 May 2025
Housing and Property Committee, 21 May 2025
Climate Change Committee, 21 May 2025

Starred Item as follows:-

Item 4i Net Zero Programme Update – AGREED TO RECOMMEND to the Council the approval of the project brief templates in Appendix 2 of the report for inclusion in the Council’s Net Zero Programme.

Item 5 Highland Adapts Update and Funding - AGREED TO RECOMMEND to the Council the approval of £15,000 of funding to support the Highland Adapts partnership during financial year 2025/26.

Communities and Place Committee, 22 May 2025
Nairnshire Committee, 26 May 2025
Dingwall and Seaforth Committee, 26 May 2025
Badenoch and Strathspey Area Committee (Sp), 27 May 2025
Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Committee, 28 May 2025
Audit Committee, 28 May 2025

Starred Item as follows:-

Item 10 Audit Committee Annual Report 2024/25 – AGREED this report should be recommended to Council to acknowledge that the necessary assurances had been provided by the Audit Committee to demonstrate that it had fulfilled its purpose and could demonstrate its impact for 2024/25.

Sutherland County Committee, 2 June 2025
Education Committee, 4 June 2025

Item 5 Statutory Consultation: Closure of Badcaul Primary School – AGREED TO RECOMMEND to the Council a further period of mothballing for Badcaul Primary School.  Since the report was published the outlook has changed.

• Most importantly, there is a small group of pre-school children in the area who will soon be entitled to statutory ELC.
• The construction of a major fish farm facility is well underway at Badcaul and should be operational this year, offering new employment opportunities.
• A community housing project is ongoing.
• Local estates, the Community Council and the local development trust have voiced their opposition to closure of the school.

Another period of mothballing would allow all stakeholders to work alongside the community, help it to thrive and support the Council’s commitment to address depopulation.

Item 6 Statutory Consultation: Merger of School Nurseries at Caol Primary School and St Columba’s Roman Catholic Primary School, to create a new pre-school provision serving both schools – AGREED TO RECOMMEND to the Council that the school nurseries at Caol Primary School and St. Columba’s Roman Catholic Primary School be merged to create a new pre-school provision serving both schools.

Item 7 Statutory Consultation: Closure of Kinlochewe Primary School – AGREED TO RECOMMEND that the Highland Council discontinue education at Kinlochewe Primary School, transferring its catchment to that of Gairloch Primary School.

Item 8 Statutory Consultation: Creation of Gaelic Medium Catchment Areas for Craighill Primary School and Tain Royal Academy – AGREED TO RECOMMEND to the Council the creation of Gaelic Medium catchment areas in line with the proposal set out at paragraph 1.2 above, namely, overlaying the current English Medium catchments of all primary schools within the Associated School Groups of Tain Royal Academy, Invergordon Academy, Dornoch Academy and Golspie High School.

Gaelic Committee, 4 June 2025
Comataidh na Gaidhlig, 4 An t-Og Mhios 2025
Corporate Resources Committee, 5 June 2025

Minutes of Meetings not included in the Volume are as follows:-    

i.   Highland and Western Isles Valuation Joint Board – for noting – held on  18 February 2025 (approved by the Board on 10 June 2025); 
ii.  Community Planning Board – for noting – held on 21 February 2025 (approved by the Board on 6 June 2025);    
iii. Redesign Board – for approval – held on 5 June 2025; and
iv.  Chief Officer Recruitment Panel  – for approval – held on 17 June 2025.

17. Question Time Booklet A
Àm Ceiste 

There is circulated separately in Booklet A Public and Members Questions received by the Chief Officer - Legal and Corporate Governance.  

For Member Questions, one supplementary question will be allowed in each case which will be answered by the recipient of the original question.

18. Notices of Motion Booklet A
Brathan Gluasaid     

There is circulated separately in Booklet A Notices of Motion received by the Chief Officer - Legal and Corporate Governance.