Highland Council

Almost 100 new homes look set to be built on the edge of Alness after planners recommended them for approval ahead of a crunch council vote.

A major battery energy storage facility capable of handling up to 50MW of power is being proposed for a site near Lochluichart in Wester Ross.

Dingwall-based support assistant, Rayanne MacPhee, has retired from her post as a support assistant at a local school after 40 years of service.

Education secretary Jenny Gilruth has agreed to meet with north-west coast parents to discuss "detrimental" issues within Highland high schools.

The council is investigating more than 300 land owners and property developers for breaching planning rules, without publishing any details online.

The agreed proposals are branded 'nebulous, vague, hazy, obscure, indistinct, unclear, indefinite, murky, blurred, formless and featureless.'

Council leader Raymond Bremner says it 'allows for significant investment to take place and protect jobs across our communities.'

The group wants £20 million to end the decades-long wait for a new St Clements special school and £30 million for roads over three years.

They say the budget has 'no real substance' and question if it 'will in fact cover the financial gap.'

The MSP warns that 'it is practically impossible' for Highland homes to meet proposed energy performance standard.

The EIS found staff 'have sustained physical injuries' while many considered leaving the profession altogether.

Transformation of a Highland landmark into a world-class visitor attraction is continuing apace, according to one of the project's leading lights.

It comes as the notice of election is published after the resignation of LibDem councillor Colin Aitken.

From taxes to roads to fees, we take you through some of the main points of the £602 million budget.

Garage rent for council tenants will increase from £10.42 per week to £11.25 per week

Dingwall has been chosen as a location for the three-week trial of a thermal pothole repairer.

The B9176 Struie Road, which provides a vital link between Ross-shire and southern and central Sutherland, will temporarily close at High Bridge.

Highland Council is facing demands to clean up its act on dog-fouling – after catching just two offenders in the last three years.

"It feels like we're being told we don't deserve the opportunities that other people have." - Poppy Lewis-Ing, S6 pupil at Ullapool High School.

Raymond Bremner says an extra £60 million would go ‘some way towards us being able to invest in important capital projects.’