Friday 11 June 2010

Whooping Cranes

With the relationship between big business and environmental issues very much in the news at the moment my link to the "Wind Concerns Ontario" blog has produced an interesting item regarding dangers to wildlife and the Whooping Crane in particular. Click here

"No Nimby Nation"; Public Attitudes to Housing 2010

Over three quarters of adults would support more houses in their area if local services did not suffer, according to a new government survey notes Planning Daily here

For more details of the Research findings click here


Thursday 10 June 2010

Expo Background

“Housing Fairs, Inverness 2010 + the Future"
held at 5.30pm on Tuesday 2 December 2008 in Room CR5, Scottish Parliament; Click here

Highland Council press release 03/12/08 here

Inverness Courier Items here and here

When the idea for a 'Housing Fair' was first placed before the Highland Council, Jan 2005, (?) here

Wednesday 9 June 2010

'Recess Dates'

It is worth bearing in mind that the holiday period will soon be upon us:

Recess Dates for the Parliamentary Year 2010 - 2011 as agreed by the Parliament are as follows:

5 July – 5 September 2010 (inclusive)

9 October - 24 October 2010 (inclusive)
23 December (pm) 2010 – 9 January 2011 (inclusive)

12 February - 20 February 2011 (inclusive)


For a timetable of headquarters meetings at the Highland Council click here

Sunday 6 June 2010

Expo for the Common Good?

The Inverness City Committee will consider a request tomorrow for £60,000 towards the cost of providing free access to young people for the duration of the Housing Expo. (07/06/10).

The 'financial assistance application form' notes more fully:

"The purpose of the funding request is to increase the accessibility of the event to young people and specifically to encourage them to attend. The funding would be used to extend an invitation from Members of the City of Inverness to all children living in and visiting the Highlands to come to Inverness to enjoy Scotland’s first Housing EXPO free of charge. For those young people living in Inverness, we would seek to encourage them not to miss this unique event. If the bid is successful, a PR campaign would be created around the ‘Kids Go Free’ offer - created and sponsored by the Inverness Common Good Fund."

"With your support we would seek to encourage the young people of Inverness and those living outwith the area to persuade their mums, dads, grannies, grandpas, aunties, uncles etc to take them to the EXPO and to spend time in the City as well as going to the event itself. We are engaged in discussions with transport providers to operate a half hourly bus service from the centre of town to the Milton of Leys to maximise on the connection between event site and the City Centre and, in doing so, the potential positive economic impact for the City’s business community."

Details of the Expo budget 2008-2010 can be found as page 6 of 7 of ICC-26-10

Further details on the Expo can be found at ICC -20-10

"Tickets are priced at £9 for adults, children under five are admitted free and school age children are charged £4.50. Discounted tickets are available for students and the elderly at £6 and season and family tickets cost £25. The average ticket price is £6 per person. Tickets are available in advance over the web through ‘The Booth’ though it is expected that most visitors will opt to pay ‘at the gate’ which has implications for the Housing Expo’s cash flow. Details of ticket prices and how to book can be found at the Expo web-site address –

www.Scotlandshousingexpo.com. The ticket prices are currently under review."