<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36); font-family: " aptos="" narrow",="" calibri,="" "sans-serif",="" "mongolian="" baiti",="" "microsoft="" yi="" "javanese="" text",="" "yu="" gothic";="" font-size:="" 14.6667px;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;"="">Kerbside Refuse Collections, Recycling Centres, Transfer and Treatement of Waste, Street Cleaning & Waste disposal (transfer, haulage, landfill/treatment)
Delivery of statutory regulatory services covering consumer protection, public health, dog control, litter, fly-tipping, air quality, food safety, noise.
Delivery of 76 public toilets
Delivery of 245 cemeteries and Inverness crematorium, maintenance of war memorials
<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36); font-family: " aptos="" narrow",="" calibri,="" "sans-serif",="" "mongolian="" baiti",="" "microsoft="" yi="" "javanese="" text",="" "yu="" gothic";="" font-size:="" 14.6667px;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;"="">Statutory maintenance of the adopted road asset incl: pothole repairs, winter service (gritting), gully emptying, dealing with emergencies (i.e. storm damage, fallen trees), bridges, retaining walls, signs, drainage, verges, cattle grids, safety barrier, road markings, etc.
Payment of Non-domestic rates budget for our own properties, utilities for our depots, offices and HLH properties (Libraries/Leisure Centres).
<span style="color: rgb(36, 36, 36); font-family: " aptos="" narrow",="" calibri,="" "sans-serif",="" "mongolian="" baiti",="" "microsoft="" yi="" "javanese="" text",="" "yu="" gothic";="" font-size:="" 14.6667px;="" white-space:="" pre-wrap;"="">Delivery of essential Property Maintenance works, engineering service contracts and planned Maintenace to all General Fund Buildings such as Schools, Offices, Depots, HLH Buildings (Libraries/Leisure Centres)
Delivery of statutory planning and building warrant functions. Responsibility for land use allocation to support economic growth and delivery of national/local outcomes and securing development investment through the determination of planning applications and building warrants.
Delivery of statutory Lighting and meet obligations under the Electricity at Work ACT and BS7671 requirements. Ensure legal agreements with site sharers on THC owned radio masts are met. Provision of Airwave Radio handsets to the service to meet Roads operations, in particular winter gritting services H&S requirements
Leading the Council's contribution to economic growth, regeneration and investment across Highland. The service develops and delivers strategic economic initiatives, supports major development and investment opportunities, secures external funding, manages regeneration programmes and provides programme and project management support for key Council priorities. The service works with public, private and community sector partners to maximise investment, support sustainable growth and strengthen the resilience of Highland communities.
Maintenance of public open spaces, school play parks, burial grounds and community play parks.
Delivery of statutory flood risk duties, including development of local flood risk plans, supporting watercourse inspections, coordinating watercourse maintenance and consultation on planning applications. Promoting flood studies and schemes to reduce flood risk to communities.
Protecting Highland's natural environment, cultural heritage and public access network. Providing specialist planning advice and policy support to enable sustainable development. Managing countryside sites, visitor facilities, ranger services and long-distance routes for residents and visitors.
The Transport Planning Team provide advice and planning consultation responses on roads related matters as part of new developments and deal with road construction consents.
Corporate Support Function for all Council Services (includes Accounting, HR, Payroll, Health & Safety, Emergency Planning, Corporate Communications & Administration)
Support for cross council systems that enable service provision to the public, systems used by the public, digital and data improvement.
These services support the Council's legal and statutory duties in terms of audit, Freedom of Information, legal work including adoption, guardianships, contracts, land & building purchase/sale/lease, delivery of elections, licensing and statutory reporting. It also supports information to the public through the press and social media and managing emergency planning.
This budget funds salary and support costs for Councillors
Customer Services Team which deliver services in the Council's Service Points and the Council's Telephone Contact Centre. The team also provides the Council's registration service which registers deaths, births and marriages.
This budget funds the costs of collecting the Council's income, including Council Tax, Non-Domestic Rates and other sums payable to the Council, in support of the Council's statutory duty to collect and recover these revenues.
Leisure Services, Libraries, Music Tuition, Museums & Visitor Attractions, Countryside Rangers and Archive Services.
Welfare and entitlement services are time-critical and support the Council's statutory duties to administer benefits and provide advice and information services. The service maximises household incomes through benefit awards and other entitlements and facilitates access to wider support services, including homelessness, housing, mental health, drug and alcohol, and other health-related services.
Provision of in-house bus services, and support for rural transport in areas where there are no commercial services.
The MHO function provides statutory assessments and supervision to those people with a mental disorder. Justice provides statutory supervision. Justice funding is ringfenced so any non spend would be returned to the Scottish Government. Any savings in this line would come from the MHO function.
These services support local communities through grant aid and direct support around local priorities and activities. Any non-spend on Community Regeneration Funds would result in returning funding to the Scottish Government.
Delivery of Statutory Education for Secondary Pupils
Delivery of Statutory Education for Primary Pupils
Special Schools and Specialist Services (ASL)
Fostering, kinship, adoption and residential services ensure children have safe and nurturing homes for their care and protection. There must be a range and sufficiency of services to ensure statutory duties for children at significant risk are available and accessible.
Provision of school transport to entitled pupils across the whole Highland area through contracted services or direct provision
Provides specialist staff support in schools and broader support for children in education such as school crossing patrollers and hostel accommodation
Statutory Delivery of Early Learning & Childcare (ELC)
These are front-line Health & Social Work Services providing universal health provision e.g. health visitors, school nurses and specialist services for children with disabilities, to targeted social work services for children with complex needs and at risk of harm. All services focus on the child's health, development and welfare within their family. This includes direct child protection statutory work which is crucial to keeping safe.
Every £1.7m spent on capital will typically add £100,000 each year to the revenue budget to repay borrowing costs.
Council Tax income (excluding additional income from second homes and Long Term Empty properties), as planned by Highland Council in March 2026. The Council is already assuming a 7% Council tax increase in the coming year, so any increases would be in addition to that.
Income generated from fees and charges under the Council's control, including School Meals, Car Parking, Burials and Cremations, etc.