Number of Moray Council charges set to rise for 2023/24
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A NUMBER of Moray Council services – including schools meals and the use of some leisure facilities – have increased in cost for 2023/24.
After a freeze in all costs last year, Moray Council approved a rise in charges for some services for the upcoming year at a meeting of the Corporate Committee on Tuesday, January 31.
The cost of hiring out swimming pools around Moray has increased by £5 per hour, while the cost of a FitLife? membership is set to rise by £12 per year for families.
Meals at day care centres have risen by 17p to £5.20, while the cost of primary school meals has risen 10p to £2.40. Burial charges and harbour fees have both gone up by 10 per cent.
The uplift of bulky items has risen by 4 per cent to £24, while the cost of photocopying has increased by 5 per cent.
Moray Council hopes that this will allow services to cover costs and generate around £150,000 in income over the coming year.
Chairperson of the Corporate Committee, Cllr Bridget Mustard (Heldon and Laich, Conservative), said: “Put simply, the cost to the council to provide services has increased in the same way as everything else has.
"In order to provide effective services we need to recover those costs.
“It’s never easy to see increases in charges but we have kept these at the minimum increase possible – some 4 per cent or 10 per cent – remaining in-line with other local authorities.”
Not all charges are controlled by Moray Council – some are set, or limited, by the Scottish Government. Council Tax is considered as part of the budget setting process.
Car parking charges in Elgin will be frozen, with cross-party agreement on the issue.
There’s a reduction in charges for garden waste permits – from £40 to £36, while library fines were scrapped.
