A new National Wildlife Centre is to be built by the SSPCA at Fishcross.

Councillors gave the proposal their unanimous backing at Thursday's meeting of the Planning Committee.

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals intends to develop the centre within the area previously occupied by the equestrian centre to include a veterinary hospital, pools for birds and marine wildlife, several aviaries and mammal enclosures. The centre represents a multi-million pound investment in the area and will employ 12-14 full time staff and up to 8 seasonal workers.

The development will provide a purpose built wildlife rescue centre for the treatment and recuperation of wild mammals, birds and amphibians from across Scotland. It will incorporate a cleaning facility for birds which need oil removed from their feathers. The centre will replace the existing one at Middlebank in Fife which can no longer cope with the demands placed on it. The centre at Fishcross will be designed to cope with over 5000 casualties a year.

Committee Convener Councillor Alastair Campbell said: "I am delighted that Clackmannanshire is the new home for the his national facility. This is the perfect site for a wildlife centre, providing a tranquil and beautiful environment in which the animals can recover. I look forward to the Council and the local community developing an excellent working relationship with this charity - their presence is likely to raise the profile of Clackmannanshire as a good place to live and work."

Mrs Tilly Confectionery's plans to build a new factory in Alva have been approved.

The proposals received the unanimous support of councillors at Thursday's meeting of the Planning Committee, subject to the Council selling the land required to accommodate the development.

The proposals will see the firm relocate from its current base in Tillicoultry and build a new, larger, factory to the rear of Glentana Mill.

As well as a factory, the development will feature a cafe and shop which are expected to attract visitors.

The committee heard that the proposal represents a significant investment and expansion for the company, which principally produces tablet, fudge and macaroon bars. The business has outgrown its current premises due to the predicted growth in sales of its products including to outlets across the United Kingdom.

The development will ensure that production will meet the significant quality assurance requirements of the distributors and will introduce a visitor experience. The current business employs 10 staff and the applicant predicts that the development would create a further 14 jobs over 3 years related to the increase in production and 8 - 10 jobs within the cafe giving a total of 34 jobs.

Committee Convener Councillor Alastair Campbell said: "This is great news for Clackmannanshire. It's fantastic to hear that a local company is expanding, creating all important jobs, as well as a much needed visitor attraction which is likely to lead to a tourism boost. In the current economic climate, this application is very welcome."

Pupils at Clackmannanshire's Strathdevon Primary School were delighted to win a prize at the Dollar Horticultural Show recently. The students entered produce grown as part of their Wester Dollarbeg Farm Project and came third with their organic snowball turnips.

Another great success was the nursery class winning the Tait Cup for the best miniature garden. The children gathered all kinds of different bits and pieces from around the school grounds to create their garden.

The green-fingered pupils are visiting the farm in small groups over the next two weeks to harvest potatoes and turnips and will be at the Scotfest Food Festival on Saturday 18 September to tell people about the farm project and to show and sell organic produce.

Portfolio holder for inclusion, councillor George Matchett, said, "I'm very proud of the Strathdevon pupils and teachers for such success. Through Curriculum for Excellence, we help young people to experience their environment and learn from those around them, as well as running projects which get students involved in their communities. This is a super example of how wide-ranging life skills can be learnt and put to use."

Photographers would be welcome to join pupils at Wester Dollarbeg Farm on Wednesday 8 at 11am-12noon, Monday 13 at 9.30-10.15 and Wednesday 15 at 11am-12noon or at 1.30-2.30pm to take photos of the children digging up their vegetables.

The promoter for ABBA Magic, due to perform at Alloa Town Hall on 16 September, has unfortunately decided to cancel this event.

Anyone who bought tickets through the Council can have these refunded by calling 01259 213131 (if you paid over the phone or online) or coming in to the one stop shop at Alloa Library (if you paid cash).

We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the late cancellation of this event.

Research by independent firm Ipsos MORI has shown that people rate Alloa as a better place to visit thanks to the Imagine Alloa project.

The project, which saw Clackmannanshire Council, Alloa Town Centre BID and Clackmannanshire Alliance successfully apply for £2 million of government funding, aimed to put the town on the map with new pavements, shop fronts, signage, lighting and art work.

And the results show that most people now think that Alloa town centre has improved over the last year. Over half of people asked after the project said they thought the town centre had got better in the previous 12 months, compared to fewer than one in four when they were asked before the project began.

The numbers of people rating Alloa as a good place to visit also rose by 7%. Respondents' satisfaction with ease of getting around was up 12% to 90% and satisfaction with ease of access to the town centre had increased from 76% to 86%.

Comments from respondents included:

• "More shopper friendly, starting to look more appealing."
• "I like the sculpture and benches."
• "It looks better - there's easier access to stairs and the bus stop."
• "There's a lot more space and cleanliness in the town and parking is improving."

Chair of Clackmannanshire Alliance Councillor Janet Cadenhead said, "I'm delighted that MORI's independent research has confirmed that Imagine Alloa has made a real difference. While it will take time to build up the lasting reputation as an arts destination that we're hoping for, the physical improvements have already had an impact, making Alloa town centre a more open, pleasant place to visit."

NOTES

Ipsos MORI was commissioned by Clackmannanshire Alliance to gauge perceptions of Alloa town centre before and after the Imagine Alloa project. They conducted 250 face to face interviews with people visiting the town centre before and after the project.

The winners of this year's Council Gardening Competition will be presented with their prizes this week.

Provost Derek Stewart will make the presentations at a reception at Kilncraigs on Friday 3rd September. You are invited to send a photographer at 7.30pm.

The Council selects winners in 16 categories, as well as the overall winner, and they will be presented with their competition trophies, certificates and prize money at Friday's reception.

Provost Stewart said, "It is always a pleasure to judge the competition and to present the prizes to individuals who have worked long and hard to make parts of our county even more beautiful. The level of competition was fantastic this year."

This year's overall winner is Haldis Scott of Alloa. The trophies are kept by the winners for a year.

A stunning image of the Clackmannanshire Bridge has taken top place in Clackmannanshire Council's annual online photography competition.

The photo was taken by John Howie from Tullibody, who was delighted with the title and the prize of £100.

The online competition, which was being run for the second year, was a great success with a wide variety of entries being submitted, each depicting Clackmannanshire's public art and architecture.

Judges had the tough task of whittling entries down to a final shortlist of 10. Then visitors to ClacksWeb had the chance to vote for their favourite and select the overall winner. The photo of Clackmannanshire Bridge received 78 votes, making John the winner.

A keen amateur photographer John said: "I really pleased and surprised to have won. I actually voted for one of the other photos to win - the one of the Andy Scott statue at Collylands."

John is married to Jackie. They have two grown up children and a grand-daughter. The couple live in Stirling Road, Tullibody.

John is never without his camera and uses his job as a taxi driver to spot new photo opportunities.

He added: "I'm always on the look-out for photo opportunities and go out most weeks taking photos in Clackmannanshire. I have a real interest in architecture and anything to do with Scottish history, so the Clackmannanshire Bridge was an obvious subject. I think it's an awesome project and a great asset to the whole community, particularly as a taxi driver.

"I took the photo in November last year and had to wait for a while for the light to be right. My current project is trying to photograph all the Forth crossings, but I've still a way to go."

John will be presented with his prize by Provost Derek Stewart at 10am on Friday 3rd September at Greenfield House, Alloa. You are invited to send a photographer.

Provost Stewart said: "Congratulation to John on winning the photography competition. It's a stunning image of the Clackmannanshire Bridge with the Ochils in the background."

The artistic skills of two pupils at Alloa Academy has earned them prizes for themselves and their school.

Rachel Morrison and Coral Gallagher entered the competition, run by Robert Wiseman Dairies to design artwork for Wiseman's fresh flavoured milk, Shock. The competitions was run to reinforce the health benefits of including milk in a balanced diet and encourage more youngsters to consume milk and pursue a healthier lifestyle

Joe Walker, Robert Wiseman Dairies Sales Manager says: "The aim of the competition was to get pupils thinking about Shock, which is fresh flavoured milk, as a healthy addition to their diet and Rachel and Coral's designs will certainly help us pass on this message to schools in Clackmannanshire. "

You are invited to send a photographer to Alloa Academy at 12.45pm on Thursday 2nd September when the prizes will be presented.

Rachel and Coral have each won an iPod Nano and the art department will be presented with a cheque for £300.

Rachel is in S3 at Alloa Academy while Coral no longer attends the school.

A Head of Facilities Management has been appointed to Clackmannanshire Council.

This new post has been filled by Stephen Crawford, who joins Clackmannanshire from Midlothian Council.

Stephen, who lives in Kinross, heads up the service which includes property, asset management, design, catering, cleaning, caretaking, fleet, building maintenance and housing property.

Stephen was formerly Head of Property and Facilities Management at Midlothian Council, where he worked for 10 years.

He said: "I was in charge of a similar range of services in Midlothian to my post here in Clackmannanshire. One of the big projects I headed up was building new Council houses - Midlothian was the first Scottish local authority to have a new build programme. I was also responsible for housing maintenance and delivering the Scottish Quality Housing Standard. These initiatives and projects are ones I'll continue in Clackmannanshire."
A quantity surveyor to trade, Stephen has also worked as a facilities management consultant across the UK, Ireland and the America.
Stephen, who is married with two children, added: "Clackmannanshire Council, along with the whole public sector, is undergoing a fundamental period of change. Change brings about opportunities and that makes it an exciting time. I am happy to be part of that change, working with the Chief Executive, the senior management team and elected members in the new financial climate."

Council leader Janet Cadenhead said: "I am delighted that Stephen is joining Clackmannanshire Council. Our new senior management team is now taking shape and is almost complete. Each of these individuals will have responsibility for a range of services and we expect them to deliver excellent results."

There has been a great response so far to the Council's efforts to gather feedback on the forthcoming budget.

So far engagement events have been held with Council staff in buildings including schools and at the headquarters at Greenfield

We have also received emails and letters from local residents, as well as lots of completed questionnaires - both online and in writing.

And this week there will be a number of opportunities for local residents to engage at face-to-face events.

Senior council staff will be talking to members of the Town Centre Business Improvement District, Muckhart Community Council, Clackmannanshire Tenants and Residents Federation and the Joint Community Council Forum, this week.

And the first of two budget engagement events in an Alloa supermarket will also be held next week. Both events will be held from 10am - 6pm - the first is on Thursday 2nd September at Morrison's, then on Thursday 16th September staff will be at Tesco's.

Nikki Bridle, Director of Finance and Corporate Services, said: "We're delighted with the response so far - both from staff and local residents. The process is generating lots of ideas and debate. And I would encourage anyone who is yet to get involved to have their say. This is your chance to shape the future of public services in Clackmannanshire. We know what the challenges are and now we need to come up with solutions as we plan for the future. By working together we can make Clackmannanshire an even better place to live, work and visit."

Councillors will be making budget decisions later this year and early in 2011 so it is vital that their decisions are well informed and the impact of changes is understood.

A feedback leaflet, called 'Money Matters', which explains how the Council currently spends its budget and illustrates the kinds of areas where senior officers think we could close the budget gap, is available in all Council offices and will be available at the public events.

A questionnaire containing 12 questions is included in the leaflet, as well as space for general comments and suggestions. A Freepost address has been set up so that the questionnaires can be returned at no cost. They can also be handed into any Council office or building and at the public events. The deadline for questionnaires to be returned is 4th October.

More information is also available on the Council's website with a link from the front page and the questionnaire is available to complete online or to download. There is also a new dedicated email address for comments on this issue: lookabootye@clacks.gov.uk. Or you can write to us at Freepost TY805, Clackmannanshire Council, Greenfield, Alloa, FK10 2AD.

The focus for Doors Open Days in Clackmannanshire this year is on glass, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the start of commercial glassmaking in Scotland.

Events take place across Clackmannanshire this weekend, Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th September.

The new exhibition 'Glass at The Glass Works' will be open at O-I Manufacturing UK Limited in Alloa, Britain's oldest glassworks still working on its original site, and there will be guided tours of the plant (numbers limited and advance booking essential).

The stained glass in many of the county's churches will be on view, as well as three grand houses built by the Paton family - Greenfield, Inglewood and Gean - of which Inglewood has fine Arts and Crafts stained glass designed by Oscar Paterson. A stained glass tour will be led by specialist Michael Donnelly, glass designer Elin Isaksson will be demonstrating glassblowing in her new Alloa studio, stained glass artist Jill Conlan will be working in her studio nearby and Retroglass will open their new showroom and studio, where visitors can see demonstrations by guest artists and the extensive range of glass, tools and equipment.

Some of the fine paintings in the Mar & Kellie collection, including portraits of Lady Frances Erskine, who was involved in the founding of the original Alloa glasshouse in the 18th century, will be on display at Hilton Farm.

New properties are included, such as Glenmore House, once home of William Bailey of Alloa Pottery, together with favourites like Alman Dramatic Club's Coach House Theatre, Alloa, and Alva historic kirkyards and Sauchie Tower, Dollar Museum and Tullibody Heritage Centre.

Depute Leader Councillor Bobby McGill said: "We have a much bigger programme this year, with no less than 27 events and properties taking part. We are concentrating on glass and, apart from the 'Glass at The Glass Works' exhibition and the tours of O-I, we have a great collection of stained glass of the later 19th and 20th century in the churches and other buildings of the county, many of which are included. There are also other new treats in the programme. We are very grateful indeed to all the owners of properties and the many volunteers who continue to support Doors Open Days every year by opening their buildings and welcoming visitors."

Please note that in some buildings only the ground floor is accessible to people with mobility difficulties. Please refer to the key next to each entry. Visitors enter the buildings at their own risk. Neither Clackmannanshire Council nor any participating building owners are responsible for any accidents or damage incurred.

Doors Open Days is celebrated in September throughout Scotland as part of the Council of Europe European Heritage Days. People can visit free of charge places of cultural and historic interest which are not normally open to the public or which usually charge an admission fee. The event aims to encourage everyone to appreciate and help to preserve their built heritage. Doors Open Days is promoted nationally by The Scottish Civic Trust with part sponsorship from Historic Scotland.

Copies of the full local programme are available in libraries and the main Council buildings in Clackmannanshire. The full programme is also available to download from www.clacksweb.org.uk/visiting/doorsopendaysgen/ or at www.doorsopendays.org.uk. For further details and to book tours of O-I please contact Museum and Heritage Officer and area co-ordinator Susan Mills at Clackmannanshire Council on 01259 216913 or email smills@clacks.gov.uk.

A new exhibition, Glass at the Glass Works: a Celebration of Glassmaking, will open on Friday 3rd September at O-I Manufacturing UK Limited.

This special exhibition, which will run until 30th September, has been created by Clackmannanshire Council's Museum and Heritage Service to coincide with the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the start of commercial glassmaking in Scotland in 1610. There will also be daily tours of O-I throughout the showing of the exhibition.

The exhibition will look at various aspects of glass and glassmaking through the centuries, including its ancient origins, stained glass and Bohemian glass engravers in Alloa. It will also focus on the story of the Alloa Glass Works and will reveal new evidence about the start of the works, previously thought to have been founded by Lady Frances Erskine in 1750. The Glass Works, which now operates as O-I Manufacturing UK Limited, has been working almost continuously on the same site since it was founded in the 18th century and is the oldest in Britain to do so. Finally, the importance of recycling glass today will be examined.

There will be a range of glass on display from public and private collections, including replicas of early Frankish glass goblets; stained glass, early wine bottles and other products of Alloa Glass Works from the Museum and Heritage Service collection, on loan from the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum and the O-I collection, as well as contemporary glass made by students from Edinburgh College of Art and professional makers.

This special exhibition is being shown through the generosity of O-I Manufacturing UK Limited, which has also arranged daily tours of the Glass Works throughout the exhibition.

Depute Leader, Councillor Bobby McGill, said: "Glass is an amazing material that we take pretty much for granted, so this is a great opportunity to learn more about it and celebrate it in a place which has actually been making glass for well over 200 years. It is also a rare chance for everyone to see how the modern glass works operates today, so I would encourage everyone to come along, see the exhibition and go on a tour. We are also hoping that people who work in the glass works or have worked there in the past will visit and will share their memories with the museum and heritage service. It would be very interesting to see photographs and anything which people might have."

The exhibition will be open at the following times:
3rd - 30th September (except Sundays)
Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 12noon until 5pm
*Guided tours of the glass works at 1.30pm and 3pm
Tuesday and Thursday 12noon until 7pm
*Guided tours of the glass works at 1.30pm and 5.30pm
All visitors must report to the Gatehouse, Glasshouse Loan, Alloa FK10 1PD.
Visitors with mobility difficulties should note, however, that it is being shown on an upper floor to which there is no lift access.
Closed Sundays

The guided tours must be booked in advance as numbers are limited and subject to availability. Stout footwear and sensible clothing must be worn and extra protective clothing will be issued. The tours are not suitable for young children (under 10) and people with mobility difficulties.

For more information and to book tours please contact Susan Mills at Clackmannanshire Council Museum and Heritage Service, on 01259 216913 or email smills@clacks.gov.uk

Grants of up to £5000 are now available from the Clackmannanshire and Stirling Environment Trust to create greener communities.

The Trust is appealing for applications to come from community groups across both Clackmannanshire and Stirling and the deadline for the next round of applications is 1st October 2010.

The Trust manages landfill community fund credits raised through the land-filling of municipal waste from both Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils.

The Trust is an independent organisation managed by a board of Trustees. Representatives are currently drawn from Clackmannanshire and Stirling Councils, Scottish Natural Heritage, as well as community representatives from both council areas.

It is keen to support local groups to implement projects that improve the environment or provide a benefit to both the local community and the general public.
Landfill tax credits have been distributed to local community groups for the past decade and over 200 local groups in Clackmannanshire and Stirling have been successful in applying for funding over this period.

Projects funded by the Trust have included improvements to play areas, community halls, historic and religious buildings, local woodlands and projects to help conserve local native biodiversity.

Each application is considered on its merit by the trustees and while £5000 is the usual upper limit, applications for larger amounts may be considered.

Applying to the Trust is simple. More information is available online at www.clacksweb.org.uk/environment/cset/ and you can also get help and advice from the Trust's manager Audrey Morrison by calling 01786 484611 or emailing morrisona@stirling.gov.uk

The Landfill Communities Fund allows landfill operators to reclaim part of their landfill tax bill if the money is used to support community and environmental projects. The Clackmannanshire and Stirling Environment Trust administers and distribute funds raised through the disposal of municipal waste by Clackmannanshire and Stirling Councils. The Landfill Communities Fund is the successor of Landfill Tax, which was introduced in October 1996 and was Britain's first "green tax". Basically every time refuse is disposed of in a landfill site, the site operator must pay a tax contribution to HM Revenue and Customs. The aim of the tax is to take into account the environmental costs of landfill as a waste disposal method.

Clackmannanshire's own Clax Youth Theatre rubbed shoulders with theatre groups, professional and youth theatre, artists from every art form, and from
very corner of the planet as they performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Members of the Theatre, which is supported by Clackmannanshire Council, performed their play 'Tangents' at one of Edinburgh's most prestigious venues 'Out Of The Blue' earlier this month.

Scripted by Clackmannanshire Writer In Residence Tom Murray and Director Elizabeth Fuller, the play is based on ideas of friendship discussed and developed by the group. The drama is set in a café and performed in a real working café.

The culmination of months of hard work by the young actors, they played to
a very appreciative audience who had travelled from, amongst other places, London and the Borders.

Councillor George Matchett, Inclusion Portfolio Holder, said: "What a wonderful opportunity for these young people, to perform on one of the biggest stages in the world, at the internationally renowned Fringe Festival. I'm sure it's an experience that will stay with them for a long time. Well done to everyone involved."

Clax Youth Theatre is a theatre company for the community, with young actors drawn from all over Clackmannanshire. The young people would like to thank Clackmannanshire Arts Forum and Alloa Rotary Club for their support in helping to make this project possible.

Menstrie House is holding an open evening at to mark the launch of their new DVD and brochure.

The DVD was made by pupils at Alva Academy and features interviews with residents, family members and staff. It also shows the facilities and residents taking part in activities such as exercise classes, baking and board games. Both the DVD and brochure will be used to show prospective residents and their families what Menstrie House has to offer.

The families of current residents have been invited to attend the open evening.

You are invited to send a photographer at 5.30pm on Tuesday 31st August.

Menstrie House is the Council's only remaining long stay care home and caters for over 40 older people who's average age is over 80. The majority of residents have dementia and a high level of need.

You can watch the DVD at www.clacksweb.org.uk/social/menstriehouse/

Clackmannanshire Council is celebrating being awarded funding to help kick start the redevelopment of some of the area's green spaces.

The Council has been granted £57,550 from the Central Scotland Green Network Development Fund, which is administered by Forestry Commission Scotland.

The funding will be used to deliver two projects in the area, including a study looking at how Gartmorn Dam can be developed as a green hub for Clackmannanshire and the wider area.

Councillor Eddie Carrick, Sustainability Portfolio Holder, said: "Clackmannanshire is one of 17 projects sharing £362,731, so our bid has gained the area 15% of the funding available so far, out of a total of £500,000 available. This is a great achievement considering the fund is open to local authorities and other organisations in 19 local authority areas across the central belt.

"2013 sees the tri-cententary of the dam, which could be a great hook to encourage more people to use this great resource, whether it's for walking, cycling, horse riding, fishing or picnicing."

Gartmorn Dam is unique is terms of history and biodiversity and this study will look at ways to maximise the community benefit from this resource. For example, it will look at how people access the site, how it fits into the Core Paths Network, the range of activities on offer, and how it's managed for wildlife.

The second scheme is a digital project being carried out on behalf of Clackmannanshire Alliance. It will map information from a wide range of sources which will be used to inform how decisions are made about future investment in green spaces. For example, it will identify where the most valuable areas of habitat are and will look at social data across Clackmannanshire to identify areas with poorer health or lower car ownership, for example, so green space improvements can be targeted close to these communities. This information will be used to support future applications for funding to deliver projects on the ground.

The Central Scotland Green Network is one of only 14 nationally important infrastructure developments that the Scottish Government has committed to delivering in the second National Planning Framework. The 'network' covers the wide variety of green spaces on the ground such as country parks, areas of woodland and river corridors, and the ways they connect with each other to enable movement between areas by both people and wildlife. The overall aim is to increase the quality of green spaces across central Scotland and improve the opportunities available for people to access, use and enjoy those spaces for recreation, play, sport or active travel.

The Central Scotland Green Network has set itself 10 goals to deliver between now and 2030. These include making sure all homes are within 300m of accessible green space, improving the setting of businesses, increasing the amount of land used for allotments and community gardens, increasing woodland cover by 50%, protecting and expanding wildlife corridors, delivering high-quality routes for active travel, increasing opportunities to participate in volunteering or events in green spaces and increasing opportunities for training and employment in sectors related to the environment. Further information can be found on their website at www.centralscotlandgreennetwork.org

Applicants can now apply and pay for licenses online via the Council's website, ClacksWeb, cutting red tape for local businesses.

The new facility means that applications for a total of 30 different licences can be completed electronically and fees paid in the same way by credit and debit cards.

The licences available online range from everyday issues such as food premises, houses in multiple occupation, window cleaners and the storage of petrol to the more unusual such as hypnotists and zoos. It also covers applications for premises licences for the sale of alcohol, variations, transfers, occasional licences and extended hours as well as street trading, public entertainment, second hand dealers, market operators, late hours catering and animal boarding and riding establishments.

Councillor Eddie Carrick, Sustainability Portfolio Holder, said: "While this change had come about due to a European Union Directive we were keen to make these improvements to ensure that local people have the choice to do the majority of their business with us online. Applying online is quick, safe and convenient for many people and we hope this new service saves local businesses time and money and makes it easier to set up a new business. I would encourage all businesses and other customers requiring licences to try out the online facility, but if applicants still wish a paper form, this can be made available."

Clackmannanshire's compliance with the EU Directive has been highlighted in a national report entitled 'Better connected for business: implementation of the EU Services Directive in the UK in 2010'. The report was carried out by the Society of Information Technology Management on behalf of UK Government department for Business, Information and Skills.

The report states that Clackmannanshire is one of only five Scottish local authorities which merits a satisfactory rating on progress towards full compliance with the regulations which dictate that businesses must be able to apply and pay for many types of licences online through a single point of contact.

Councillor Carrick added: "I am pleased to see that once again Clackmannanshire is at the forefront of delivering services online receiving the highest category awarded, along with only four other councils."

The Council is now working towards complete compliance with the regulations, continuing improvement of its licensing web pages to make them easier to use and more business friendly, ensuring that licensing staff are fully trained to process online applications efficiently and quickly and deal with customer queries and providing links to the Council's complaints procedure and other business information.

More information is available at www.clacksweb.org.uk/regulation/licensing/ or you can email any question to licensing@clacks.gov.uk.

Aberdeen City, Falkirk, Inverclyde and South Lanarkshire are the other Scottish councils who are compliant with the EU Directive.