Stephen Kinninmonth

Alloa and Stirling Jobcentres are supporting employers recruiting across the Forth Valley, with vacancies spanning hospitality, care, cleaning, retail, transport, manufacturing and local government. The Department for Work and Pensions says employer engagement, pre-screening and interview events have already helped people into work. Training initiatives have provided CSCS construction cards and are preparing jobseekers for domestic energy assessor roles. A recruitment event will be held at Stirling Albert Halls on September 16, with businesses invited to seek support or attend.

Clackmannan Kirk Session has applied for planning permission and listed building consent to improve access to the Category B-listed parish church. The proposals include widening the vestry entrance and installing steel ramps and level platforms through the graveyard, with archaeological monitoring to protect historic gravestones. Planned internal alterations would also provide meeting rooms, an office, accessible toilets and kitchen facilities, supporting more flexible worship and community use.

Dollar Academy is seeking detailed approval for a major sports complex beside Devon Road, including synthetic football, rugby and hockey pitches, padel courts, a pavilion, a multi-use games area and more than 160 parking spaces. Residents have objected over potential damage to wildlife, Dollar’s distinctive character, traffic, parking, walking routes, drainage, flood risk and a private water supply. The academy says the facility is needed to meet growing demand and would serve pupils, clubs, schools and community groups. Its transport and drainage assessments predict limited traffic impacts and no increase in post-development runoff, while the application remains awaiting a decision.

Construction of Alloa’s £76 million Wellbeing Hub and Lochies School is progressing on schedule, with the steel frame complete and sections of the building becoming wind and watertight. The facility is expected to be handed over in summer 2027 and open in autumn 2027. It will combine specialist education, swimming pools, fitness and games facilities, community and health services, social spaces, a café, outdoor play areas and a public park. Clackmannanshire Council says the project will attract about 275,000 visitors annually, create up to 136 jobs and generate an estimated £2.14 million in annual social value. The development is also intended to be one of Scotland’s first large-scale community buildings built to Passivhaus standards, reducing energy use, running costs and carbon emissions.

Keith Brown MSP has called for urgent UK Government action to address lengthy driving-test booking delays affecting learners in Clackmannanshire and Dunblane. Constituents report queuing online from before 6 a.m., facing continued lesson costs and, in some cases, expiring theory-test certificates before securing a practical appointment. Brown wants temporary extensions for affected theory-test certificates, greater transparency over regional pass-rate differences, and an explanation of why recent booking-system changes have failed. He also suggested devolving responsibility for driver testing to the Scottish Parliament if the UK Government cannot resolve the problem.

The Rotary Club of Alloa is hosting a free quiz night at Dunmar House Hotel on Friday, September 25, 2026. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the quiz begins at 7:30 p.m.; teams of four can participate without prior experience or any obligation to donate. Places can be reserved through Eventbrite, with teams competing to become Alloa’s 2026 Quiz Champions.

Affinity Sterling Mills in Tillicoultry will host a free “Dino Discovery” weekend on August 8 and 9, from noon to 4 p.m. Families can meet Blue the Velociraptor from the Jurassic World films and take part in dinosaur-themed activities including crafts, fossil-related exercises and educational workshops. The event is aimed at children aged three and over and marks the final weekend in the venue’s Summer Adventures programme.

Clackmannanshire pupils achieved one of the area’s strongest sets of exam results, with 84% of awards graded A to C across National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher courses. English results reached five-year highs, while pupils from the most deprived communities, care-experienced young people and those with additional support needs recorded notable progress. Clackmannanshire Council attributed the improvements partly to targeted family and learner support, while officials highlighted achievements beyond exams, including volunteering, sport, arts and leadership.

Clackmannanshire Council has approved plans for a new path and footbridge at Harviestoun Castle in Dollar. The route would move Core Path 138 out of the castle’s private garden while maintaining links between Dollar, Tillicoultry and the Ochils. The owners cited litter, drug paraphernalia, human waste, bonfires, plant damage and unsafe public access to historic features as reasons for the change. The planning approval does not itself divert the official core path; that requires a separate statutory process under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act, including consultation and further public comment.

Nineteen-year-old Sauchie judoka Jaden Calder made his Commonwealth Games debut for Team Scotland in the men’s under-100kg event in Glasgow. He lost to New Zealand’s Matthew Rowley in the round of 16 but received strong support from the home crowd. Calder may have become the youngest male Commonwealth Games judo representative in history, having been selected as a reserve after a teammate withdrew. Supported by his father and coach Lee and members of Judo Club Esprit, Calder hopes to compete at future Commonwealth Games.

Clackmannanshire Council tenants are being encouraged to join an independent scrutiny panel examining local housing services. The panel requires no formal experience and will assess what works well, identify problems and make recommendations directly to the council, which must respond to the issues raised. Interested tenants can contact Pedro at the Tenants Information Service or the council’s tenant participation team.

A free Community Housing Day will be held at Alloa Town Hall from 10am to 2pm on Friday. Led by Ochil View Housing Association with several housing and community partners, the event will offer advice on finding a home, tenancy support and local services, along with information stalls, family entertainment, refreshments and a buffet.

Garvies pub in Kincardine is one of 17 Scottish venues hosting the UK-wide Proper Pool Competition, sponsored by Carling. Qualifying heats run through August 30, followed by pub and regional finals, with the grand final scheduled for October 11 at the Gamull pub in Leyland. The winner will receive £1,000, while second and third place will receive £250 and £100 respectively. Local residents can enter through Garvies.

NHS Forth Valley has opened a public engagement survey to inform its new Quality, Safety and Experience Plan, part of a wider 10‑year Population Health and Care Strategy. Residents, patients and staff are invited to share views on service safety, effectiveness and overall care experience. Feedback will help determine priorities amid growing pressures such as an aging population and rising long‑term conditions. Participants are advised not to include personal clinical details and can access the survey through the health board’s website.