Latest news with #PeterUrpeth
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Fish firm to provide housing in Scalpay due to lack of homes
A salmon farm company is to provide housing for its workers at a site in Scalpay due to a lack of available accommodation on the Scotland (BFS) has been granted planning permission for 14 temporary units and welfare facilities at Cuddy told Western Isles local authority, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, a lack of homes had created difficulties for the company in recruiting and retaining units are to be made available to workers across BFS' Isle of Harris operations. The comhairle said that while the proposal to site the temporary accommodation in a compound was "not ideal," it had been justified in terms of the identified employs more than 400 people across about 45 sites on Scotland's west by local democracy journalist Peter Urpeth.
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Western Isles Council pauses plans for a visitor levy
Plans to develop a "tourist tax" for the Western Isles have been put on nan Eilean Siar, along with other Scottish local authorities, were given powers to introduce a visitor levy on overnight accommodation in a report to councillors said a cost benefit analysis suggested it would have "marginal benefits", and could potentially harm the islands' tourism said the pause would also allow time for a potential introduction of a "point-of-entry" levy, which could be charged at ports and airports. Councillors were told that Orkney and Shetland island councils had adopted a similar policy to pause the introduction of their visitor levy in the Western Isles has been growing, with more than 389,000 visitors in 2023 - up 21.8% from 2022 figures, according to a feasibility report prepared for the report said accommodation was mostly provided by small-scale self-catering providers, with 1,246 businesses offering about 7,900 South Ayrshire Council is set to abandon plans for a tourist tax in the local authority mooted the prospect of charging for overnight stays in a bid to boost its a public consultation into the plan was heavily negative, with only 15% of respondents supporting the proposal compared to 79% by local democracy reporter Peter Urpeth.
