The garden waste collected by the Council is turned into compost and is mainly used by farmers as a soil conditioner; some is also used for landfill restoration.  All compostable material collected by local authorities must meet a quality standard, PAS 100 which ensures the compost is suitable for its intended use.  Recent changes to the PAS 100 standard mean that testing for items such as stones and plastic have become more stringent.

Householders are reminded that the brown bin collections and garden waste skips at Recycling Centres are intended solely for garden waste such as grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, twigs and small branches, flowers and weeds but excluding notifiable weeds such as Japanese knotweed and ragwort. Soil, stones turf, and rubble must not be included. All types of plastic, including polystyrene, should also be kept out of the garden waste. Kitchen waste, cooked or raw, should not be included.  Neither should any animal waste material which may contain dangerous pathogens. Bagged waste is also not accepted.

Since The Highland Council started collecting garden waste in 2004/5, a staggering 130,000 tonnes of material has been collected and successfully composted.  Most of this would otherwise have ended up in landfill where it emits the potent global warming gas, methane. Last year alone, 20,400 tonnes of material was collected, 14,000 tonnes of this coming from the brown bin collections.

Over the next few weeks the Waste Awareness Team will be joining crews on garden waste collection vehicles and will be in attendance at Recycling Centres to monitor the material being collected and talk to householders. Brown garden waste bins contaminated with the wrong material will be stickered and may be left as these items could contaminate the whole load.

A spokesperson for the council said:  “It’s clear that the majority of householders in Highland are doing a great job separating their garden waste but some householders are under the impression that because it is a garden waste service they can include anything that happens to be in their garden. More extreme items found in garden waste bins have included broken garden furniture, flowerpots, toys, garden ornaments, and even wellington boots.”

Householders, especially those in areas without brown garden waste bin collections, are also encouraged, whenever possible, to compost at home. This has both environmental and financial benefits to householders, giving a free and very environmentally friendly source of compost for the garden. Home composting can include a wider range of material such as raw kitchen waste.
Advice on home composting and other ways of reducing waste and increasing recycling is available by visiting www.highland.gov.uk/recycle, email recycle@highland.gov.uk or call 01349 886603.

A consultation, organised by The Highland Council’s Planning and Development Service, runs until Friday 6th July 2012. Already the documents have been sent to a number of groups, including community councils, developers and has been publicised by our partners.

You can view the consultation documents online at highland.gov.uk/developmentplans or at your local Highland Council Service Point or library.

Scott Dalgarno, Development Plans Manager at The Highland Council said: “Both these documents represent a change in the way we approach development and the impacts that they have at both a site specific level and across all of our communities. The documents aim to ensure the Council has a co-ordinated and consistent approach to developer contributions and public art.  This will be vital to help deliver sustainable economic growth in the Highlands without compromising the level of services, infrastructure and facilities currently enjoyed by those living, working and visiting the area.”

Public art does not have to be big and bold – it can be something small like subtle details in the design of buildings and places such as the streetscape improvements around Inverness City Centre and Dingwall.

Developer contributions have been used across Highland to deliver a range of projects from improvements to play areas in the West Highlands to the delivery of the Southern Distributor Road in Inverness.

If you have any comments to make about the draft guidance documents please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Development Plans Team by e-mail (devplans@highland.gov.uk) or by post (Development Plans Team, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX).

The Board (meeting on Friday 11 May), agreed to continue to provide funding to the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust (COAT) – a charitable trust set up in 2008 to improve paths in, around and between settlements and in the mountains of the Park.

Overall funding of £590,000 will be made available over three years 2012-2015. The money will be spent on meeting objectives in the new National Park Partnership Plan around providing high quality access and recreation opportunities and will build on COAT’s achievements to date which include:

·         large scale improvements to community path networks

·         maintaining and improving sections of the Speyside Way

·         the Park wide Health Walks Scheme which provides opportunities to meet people, explore the Park and exercise

·         a 4 year £2.1m Mountain Heritage Project to repair mountain paths

·         running a training skills project where trainees gain skills in path maintenance and recognised qualifications leading to employment in the Park

Getting people more active will be one of the major pieces of work over the next three years and fits well with the improvements to the path network.

CNPA Recreation and Access Programme Manager Bob Grant said: “We want to continue to see paths in and around communities improved so more people feel they can walk or cycle in the Park either for pure enjoyment or to get about more safely or without the need to take a car journey. Ultimately people will have more freedom, more fun and be fitter.”

COAT Chief Executive, Dougie Baird, said: “We welcome CNPA’s commitment to our innovative programme scheduled for the next 3 years.  It does represent a cut in the level of funding from that provided by CNPA in previous years, and we understand in the current times why this is necessary.  We may have to prioritise some areas of work but we are determined to use this invaluable support to help lever in funds from an ever widening range of partners to achieve all of our objectives in the coming years.  In a difficult economic climate this is a great level of commitment to offer and we do appreciate it.”

CNPA Deputy Convener Brian Wood said: “COAT has done an exceptional job towards improving the lifestyle and health of people in the Park and it is impressive how far our money goes. The Trust has been able to apply for and gain European funding which matches what we contribute and with partner support as well, more projects are happening and at a much faster rate all over the Park. We are committed to continuing to support this work.”

With energy from tasty snacks from Asher’s bakery, over 20 volunteers took part in Carrbridge’s 3rd annual Spring Clean today (Sunday 13th May 2012).

In association with Highland Council and Keep Scotland Beautiful, the tidying team armed themselves with bags and littergrabs and headed off to scour the village and rid it of litter. One enthusiastic volunteer even donned a pair of thigh-length waders and gave the local burn a thorough cleaning!

Representatives from the village’s businesses were out in forces as well as villagers and local children. And, because of their endeavours, Carrbridge is now living up to its reputation as being the jewel of the Cairngorms.

Organiser Roy Brown was pleased with the turnout for the litter pick.  He said:  “I was encouraged by the enthusiasm of the adults and kids who helped. Of course we were spurred on by the reward of a tasty treat kindly provided again by Asher’s Bakery.”

Photo: Roy Brown

This Appeal invites anyone in the Highlands to book an appointment with a participating solicitor to either make or update their Will – in return for making a donation to the Hospice.

Fundraising Manager Linda Macdonald explains, “Anyone who makes an appointment through this appeal will not have to pay a fee to their solicitor. The solicitors who are participating in this appeal have very kindly agreed to waive payment. Instead, they request that you make a donation to Highland Hospice, for the benefit of our patients and their families.”

This is the perfect opportunity to turn your thoughts to making a Will if you haven’t already done so, as participating solicitor Angus MacLeod from Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP in Inverness explains,

“Making a Will is more important than most people realise.  Many of us simply don’t want to think about it.  However, it is usually fairly easy to set one up, and this will then give you peace of mind. Without a Will, you cannot assume that even a surviving spouse won’t be forced into sharing the residuary estate with other beneficiaries.

“Making a Will is not something just for the wealthy, you would be surprised at how the value of your possessions can add up.
“And if you choose to make a Will in May, you can support a great local cause in doing so!”

For further information on the Hospice’s ‘Make a Will Appeal’ and to see a full list of participating solicitors, please visit www.highlandhospice.org/legacies or call 01463 227907.

Fans have enjoyed a succession of classic days on the hill in the last week and with the forecast set to stay cold and the possibility of some significant snowfall during the week there are opportunities for some great midweek snowsports with fresh powder to play on. The Ciste, Ptarmigan, Polar express, Cas and M1 tows have all been open with the funicular making middle upstops. The r

Sunday 6th May on CairnGorm Mountain

esort plans to continue to offer snowsports all week and will open lifts subject to demand.

Commenting on the conditions CairnGorm Mountain Marketing Manager Colin Kirkwood  said: “For the first time ever the Coronation Wall in Coire Cas has been groomed, and has proved very popular with more advanced skiers and borders, sparking a lively debate on whether it should be classified as a red or black run. Either way it is a big draw and its pisting, made possible by the resort’s acquisition of a Winchcat pisting machine seventeen months ago has been acclaimed by many customers.”

In the freestyle park more technical features have been added over the last week including a new 9 metre long ledge rail. The park has both hard line and easy lines with five rails and a jump currently featuring in the set-up there. Ski mountaineers have also been taking advantage of the late snow. A ski mountaineering ticket enables them to walk up to the mid mountain then ride up the M1 tow to start their sport. And funicular-only passengers, of whom there have been some 2000 over the holiday weekend, can go up and enjoy the snow outside the Ptarmigan building.

The results of The Highland Council elections resulted in the Independents securing 35 seats; Scottish National Party, 22, Liberal Democrat 15, and Labour 8.

The first meeting of the new Council will be held on Thursday 17 May when the office-bearers will be confirmed.

The average turn out across the 22 wards was 41%.  The highest turn out was 51.92 per cent at Black Isle Ward, where the four councillors were all returned. 66% return on postal votes.

There are 59 male and 21 female members on the council.

Badenoch & Strathspey Results

Jaci Douglas – IndependentDavid Fallows – Scottish National Party (SNP)
Bill Lobban – Scottish National Party (SNP)
Gregor Rimell – Scottish Liberal Democrats

Electorate = 10,348
Turn out = 42.85%
Valid votes = 4,385

The bracelets are made up of distinctive red and black beans from the “abrus precatorious” plants that are strung together with fine cord.  The seeds found inside these beans contain the toxin abrin that, if swallowed, can have fatal consequences.  Abrin is chemically similar to ricin.

The beans are generally thought to be safe if the seeds are not exposed, however test results recently obtained by Trading Standards indicate that because the beans have been pierced to allow for the bracelet cord to be threaded through, the toxin would be available rendering them extremely toxic to humans or animals if accidentally consumed.

The importer, Rainstick Trading of Saxmundham in Suffolk, issued a recall, after supplying shops throughout the country including three retailers in the Highlands.

Gordon Robb, Highland Council’s Trading Standards Manager said:  “We contacted the three Highland retailers known to have been supplied by the importer to ensure all stocks of the bracelets were removed from sale and customer recall notices displayed in the shops, until test results were obtained.  However, now we are fully aware of the hazards they represent we are concerned that some consumers may have these products at home, perhaps bought from shops or websites based outside the Highlands, and we want to warn them of the risks these pose.”

Abrus precatorius has been given many names including Jequirity, Crab’s Eye, Rosary Pea, John Crow Bead, Precatory bean, Indian Liquorice, Akar Saga, Giddee Giddee or Jumbie Bead.  The plant grows in tropical and subtropical areas and the recalled bracelets were imported from Indonesia.

Trading Standards are urging consumers who have bracelets that they suspect are made from these beans to cease wearing them and contact Trading Standards immediately at the address below.   Any retailers who have stocks of these bracelets, and who have not already been contacted by Trading Standards, should immediately remove them from sale and notify The Highland Council’s  Trading Standards at 38 Harbour Road, Inverness, IV1 1UF, telephone 0845 600 4222, email trading.standards@highland.gov.uk.

Applications for a postal vote must be received by 5 pm on Wednesday 18 April. The deadline for registration is midnight on the same day.

To be able to vote in the elections, voters must be 18 or over on 3 May 2012 and must be registered to vote ie feature on the electoral roll for the Highlands. The electorate for the Council elections currently stands at 175,979.

Anyone not registered and eligible to vote in the election who wishes to register should contact the Highland and Western Isles electoral registration office at Moray House, 16-18 Bank Street, Inverness (freefone 0800 393 783).

More than 27,000 people in the Highlands are registered to vote by post. Eligible voters wishing to vote by post should apply to the same registration office . A requirement of the application form and in voting by post is to provide a signature and date of birth.

Polling will take place at 271 polling stations throughout the Highlands between 7 am and 10 pm on Thursday 3 May. The count will take place on Friday 4 May at Inverness Leisure, Bught Park, Inverness.

The election is to elect for five years 80 members of The Highland Council, who will serve on 14 four-member wards and 8 three-member wards.