Council Director to step down

Mr Neil Gillies, The Highland Council’s Director of Transport Environmental and Community Services, has announced his decision to retire from the Council, with effect from the end of January, next year.

Mr Gillies joined the former Highland Regional Council in 1978 and worked on a wide range of civil engineering projects including roads, bridges, harbours and coast protection works, and road maintenance.

He was appointed as Head of Roads and Community Works in 2002, in the newly formed Transport, Environmental and Community Services, which saw three Council Services being brought together. 

The step up to Director of TECS came in 2006, when he took on responsibility for the full range of services including waste management, roads and transport, harbours, environmental health and trading standards.

Challenges over the past seven years included the transformation of the Council’s waste collection service, delivering major civil engineering projects across the Highlands, including lifeline roads in Skye, Lochaber and Sutherland and major flood prevention works in Inverness.

Mr Gillies will leave as the Council introduces a new Service structure, with five new Services replacing the existing 7.  The responsibilities of Transport Environmental and Community Services will be taken over by two new Services –Capital and Development and Community Services.

Stuart Black, Director of Planning and Development, will be taking up the position of Director of Capital and Development.

Community Services is a new Service and the Council has today (Friday) advertised for a Director to shape a  service that will deliver front line services, such as housing,  waste management, community works, cleaning, transport, roads  and winter maintenance, environmental health, emergency planning, harbours and street lighting.

Meanwhile, the Council  has appointed Michelle Morris to take on additional duties as Depute Chief Executive, deputising for Chief Executive Steve Barron during his absence.  Ms Morris, who was Assistant Chief Executive,  joined the Council in early 2008 from the City and County of Swansea Council.  She will assume the title of Director of Corporate Development in the new Service structure.