This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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SNH to retain presence in Edinburgh
13/10/2003
A small number of Scottish Natural Heritage staff
will remain employed in theEdinburgharea following the organisation's relocation
toInverness.
The Executive announced on March 20 thatScotland's principal nature conservation body should be
relocated in theHighlandsonce the lease on itsEdinburghheadquarters expires in 2005. The decision
was taken as part of the Executive's broader relocation
policy to ensure that public sector jobs and the economic
benefits they bring are shared across
Scotland.
The relocation will bring together staff currently
employed in twoEdinburghoffices with over 50 staff already working inInverness. Ministers agreed to consider proposals put
to them by SNH to retain some posts in
Edinburgh.
Deputy Environment Minister Allan
Wilson said:
"We have agreed that SNH can retain
up to 50 posts in the Edinburgh area for some time beyond
the date that the new headquarters building is functioning
in Inverness.
In the longer term, the organisation can
retain a maximum of 25 staff in the Edinburgh area where
this makes sound operational or business sense.
"The Executive remains committed to
dispersing the substantial majority of those jobs now
located in Edinburgh to Inverness.
We have said repeatedly that this move will
be made in as flexible a way as possible to minimise both
business risks to SNH's service delivery and the costs of
the move and the potential disruption to SNH staff and
their families. We expect SNH to make every effort to
ensure that any redundancies are negotiated on a voluntary
basis.
"This agreement emphasises our
commitment to a flexible approach and will ensure that SNH
is better able to manage the relocation more effectively
and efficiently."
John Markland, Chairman of Scottish
Natural Heritage, said:
"We welcome the Ministers'
agreement to our proposals.
This will help us to maintain our close
links with some of our partners, projects and customers in
the central belt and south of Scotland.
"SNH will also be able to build an
important element of flexibility into our relocation
proposals and continuity into our service delivery once it
is clear which staff intend to relocate to Inverness."
Ministers expect to receive a
project plan from SNH by the end of this month.
The plan should outline the significant
dates and targets to be met in relocating the organisation
to Inverness.