Moray Council agrees changes to fees and charges for 2026/27

Most charges set by the Council will rise by 4.8%, in line with the Council’s Charging for Services Policy. This reflects inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index including housing costs, plus 1%.

However, some services will see larger or smaller changes, while a number of charges will stay the same, where this is felt to be in the best interests of residents and service users.

Key changes include:

Leisure services

• Fit Life leisure memberships will increase by 8-10.8%, following benchmarking which shows Moray’s fees remain among the lowest in Scotland.
• Charges for swimming lesson blocks and holiday courses will rise by around 10%, encouraging families to consider Fit Life memberships, which offer better value.
• Pitch and pavilion charges will remain unchanged.
• Some school facility hire charges will rise by between 8% and 10%.

Education

• The cost of a primary school meal will rise by 5p, to help maintain uptake and affordability.

Libraries

• The cost of replacing a library computer card will remain the same.
• A new flat rate of £2.50 will be introduced for staff-supported digital scanning and emailing, replacing the previous per-sheet charging system.

Social care

• Most charges will rise in line with inflation.
• A new £20 charge for replacement Blue Badges will be introduced.

Waste and environmental services

• The charge for uplift of bulky household items will increase to £44.
• The garden waste permit will rise modestly to £54, below the standard inflation rate to help protect uptake.
• Charges for trade waste and recycling passes will rise more significantly, to discourage business use of household recycling centres.

Burial and cemetery services

• Burial charges will increase above inflation, as part of previously agreed plans to move towards full cost recovery, taking account of rising costs and lower numbers of interments.
• From April 2026, new charges will apply for extending burial rights, in line with national legislation setting a 25-year limit.

Parking and transport

• Most parking charges will remain unchanged.
• New charges will be introduced for HGVs and oversized vehicles using certain car parks.
• Trading permits will be introduced for businesses operating from Council car parks.
• The cost of a duplicate school bus pass will increase by £1, the first rise in eight years.
• EV Charging points are migrating to a private consortium and the Council will no longer take charges for use of EV charging points.

Council Leader, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said: “Setting fees and charges is never easy, but it is a necessary part of balancing our budget while continuing to deliver services people rely on.

“We’ve tried to keep increases as fair and equitable as possible, protecting affordability where we can, especially for families and vulnerable residents, while making sure services remain sustainable in the long term.

“Even with these changes, many of our charges remain lower than those in other parts of Scotland, and the additional income helps reduce the need for deeper cuts to services.”

A full list of fees and charges for 2026/27 will be available on the Moray Council website and come into effect from 1 April 2026.