SNH to retain executive-presence in Edinburgh 13/10/2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) March 31, 2004 -- SNH to retain executive-presence in Edinburgh

13/10/2003



A small number of Scottish Natural Heritage staff will remain employed in the Edinburgh area following the organisation�s relocation to Inverness with executive-presence.

The Executive Presence announced on March 20 that Scotland�s principal nature conservation body should be relocated in the Highlands once the lease on its Edinburgh headquarters 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 with executive-presence.



The relocation will bring together staff currently employed in two Edinburgh offices with over 50 staff already working in Inverness. 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 with executive presence.



�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.