With the grass-cutting season upon us, the Council is pleased to announce the phased re-opening of the Bossack Household Waste Recycling Centre on Tuesday 11 May.
A virtual awards ceremony was held this week to celebrate the efforts of S2 pupils from Stromness Academy and Kirkwall Grammar School who took part in the Fereday Prize for a Local History Investigation.
Primary 1 children from St Andrews Primary School were delighted to see their lifeboat artwork framed and displayed on the Kirkwall Lifeboat Station wall.
The Council’s Planning Service has launched a customer satisfaction survey to allow users of the service to share their experiences.
Orkney Islands Council has issued a reminder that Cursiter Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) will be closed this coming Monday (3 May), for the May Day public holiday.
Almost all public toilet facilities throughout Orkney are open and we have a dedicated web page for you to access further information – Council's web page on public toilet facilities
Orkney Islands Council has awarded contracts for public bus and school transport services in the county for the next several years.
The multi-agency Orkney Local Emergency Co-ordination Group (OLECG) met this evening in response to the discovery of a grenade near the Orkney Research and Innovation Campus (ORIC) in Stromness.
The council is reminding drivers that the ‘first-hour free’ parking run by the Council over the winter ends on 30 April, when OIC carparks in central Kirkwall and Stromness revert to summer tariffs (from and including 1 May).
The Council is carrying out urgent repair works at Dingieshowe public toilets in Deerness after part of the facility was vandalised at the weekend.
Everyone is encouraged to vote in the Scottish Parliament election on 6 May – and this year folk are reminded that there will be some additional safety measures in place due to COVID-19 for those choosing to cast their vote in person.
Plans are progressing for an exciting development within the Papdale area of Kirkwall which could see an area of green space transformed into a community park for all ages and abilities.
One of the Council’s new tugs – Thor of Scapa – assisted in the smooth reinstallation of a tidal turbine at the European Marine Energy Centre Fall of Warness test site this week.
Local electors are encouraged to return postal votes in plenty time for the Scottish Parliament election in May.
More than a third of the 17,668 people on the Electoral Register in Orkney have registered to vote by post – 6,098 in total (34.5%). The number of electors who’ve applied for a postal vote has gone up by 1,793 since December 2020.
With restrictions due to ease during May, Orkney’s Sport and Leisure Team have updated how this will impact on their activities and facilities in the county.
Orkney will continue to be in Level 3 COVID-19 restrictions until 16 May, and from the week commencing 17 May Orkney will enter Level 2.
After a careful review of Scottish Government, sportscotland and Governing Bodies of Sport guidance, as well as current facility usage figures, the following facilities and activities will continue to be affected:
The Council’s Environmental Health team have been dealing with a boom in food business – with the number of new catering start-ups almost trebling during the COVID-19 lockdown year.
Orkney's iconic St Magnus Cathedral will shine in gold, pink and blue on Friday (30 April) as part of the first International Care Experienced Day of Remembrance, a day aimed at marking the contribution and experience of looked after people in communities around the world.
Local businesses who have been impacted by coronavirus may still have options open to them for financial support, despite some national schemes coming to an end as restrictions ease.
The ReFLEX Orkney project has launched a new carbon calculator to help the Orkney community estimate its carbon footprint and monitor it over time.
Electors are reminded that the deadline to apply for a proxy vote is less than a week away.
Some Westray residents are being asked to re-present bins again tomorrow, Wednesday, today's refuse truck had to return to mainland Orkney as it was full, leaving 70 properties uncollected.
Organisations involved in visitor management in Orkney have met in preparation for the easing of travel restrictions later this month.
St Magnus (and Orkney) Mourns The Duke of Edinburgh
Organisations in Orkney with innovative ideas for local investment are invited to bid for support from a new fund.
People across Orkney are encouraged to look out for their postal votes next week.
A free course for landlords will run in Orkney later this month aimed at ensuring they know how to register and how to comply with their obligations to tenants.
Following the First Minister’s recent announcement, all secondary and primary pupils in Orkney will return to full-time, in-person and face-to-face learning following the Easter break on Monday 19 April.
Residents must ensure they are on the Electoral Register by midnight on Monday 19 April if they wish to vote in the upcoming 6 May Scottish Parliament election.
The Westray gritter lorry has suffered a breakdown and will unfortunately be out of action over the weekend.
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Orkney on 12 August 1960, an event covered by around 70 reporters from national newspapers and the BBC.
It has been announced by Buckingham Palace that His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh has passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.
Convener of Orkney Islands Council, Councillor Harvey Johnston, expressed his deepest sympathies to Her Royal Highness Her Majesty the Queen and The Royal Family.
The Orkney Partnership is seeking views from the public on what priorities it should concentrate on in the year ahead.
Orkney Islands Council is advising residents in Shapinsay that refuse collection crews were unable to collect from all households today, April 7, due to mechanical issues with the refuse lorry.
Orkney Islands Council is warning of continued hazardous road conditions overnight tonight (6 April) and into tomorrow, 7 April, including ice.
A recent donation to the Orkney Museum has prompted staff to appeal for any information that could help identify the mystery model boat builder.
Orkney Islands Council is advising of disruptions and cancellations to waste and recycling collections in the county today (6 April) as a result of the current bad weather.
Papdale Primary School’s Murray Budge was joined by his classmates and a few school staff on the final stretch of his month-long walking fundraiser for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) on Wednesday 31 March.
A Met Office Yellow Warning for wind and snow remains in place for Orkney - with frequent snow and hail showers, accompanied by a very strong northerly wind, forecast throughout the day.
Orkney Islands Council’s Roads is reminding drivers of expected wintry road conditions over coming days.
Colleagues from health, social care, education services, the police, the third sector and others from the Community Planning Partnership have been working together with children and young people to help us plan our vision and our services to support all children and young people.
Orkney Islands Council is advising of the potential for black ice on the county's roads throughout next week, starting Sunday (4 April) night.
Orkney is among the top performing counties in some aspects of health and social care in Scotland, it was heard yesterday (Thursday 1 April 2021) as Councillors considered a national ‘benchmarking’ report of services for adults.
The children of Evie School have been helping put a “spring in the step” of the residents of Smiddybrae House and the wider community with some Easter artwork.
Police in Orkney are urging dog owners to be aware of the law and act responsibly around livestock ahead of start of the lambing season.
Orkney Islands Council has issued a reminder that Cursiter Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) will be closed this coming Monday (5 April), for the Easter Monday public holiday.
The Council’s Election Team has issued a reminder that the deadline to apply to vote by post in May’s election is coming up fast – it’s 17:00 on Tuesday April 6.
Teachers in Orkney are continuing to find new and innovative ways to ensure engagement with senior pupils who remain in school part-time.
The Council's Spring 2021 programme of community learning courses will open for bookings on 8 April.