The Council would like to thank residents still looking for a solution to keeping a lid on their bins on windy days for their patience while bin lid strap options have been reviewed by the waste team. Here's two solutions approved by the team:

A strategic plan which will see the Council focus on growing Orkney's economy, strengthening its communities and developing local infrastructure over the next five years, was agreed by Councillors at today's meeting of the Full Council.

The 'Council Plan 2023 – 2028’  sets out the key priorities for the Council over the next five years as well as the actions and projects that will need to be completed to meet those.

Orkney Islands Council's decision to increase Council tax in the county by 10% has been ratified at today's meeting of the Full Council - and comes with a vow to push the Scottish Government for a resolution to the long running disparity between the funding received by the Council and other island authorities

Orkney residents will receive funding of  £360 (10.7%) per head of population less than Shetland and £707 (21.1%) less than Western Isles for 2023/24.

“An hour well spent” – the Council’s Customer Service Advisers (CSA) have been adding to their breadth of service knowledge thanks to weekly training sessions.

For the past six months, the CSA’s have been taking part in dedicated training sessions from 9am-10am on Wednesdays.

The gritter teams were out at 6am this morning treating priority one and two routes given the yellow weather warning in place for Orkney and other areas of the north of Scotland.

The team are continuing to monitor the conditions thanks to folk on the ground and keeping a watchful eye on the Met Office detailed forecasts coming across.