Budget 2025/26
As we work through the decisions to set Moray Council’s 2025/26 budget, this page will keep you updated on the proposals and progress at each stage.
Details of consultations, engagement and feedback will be shared here as we continue our conversation with residents and staff on the Moray Council of the future.
A message from Council Leader, Cllr Kathleen Robertson (October 2024):
“In 2024/25 we were able to set a balanced budget following engagement with staff and residents. We asked for feedback on what our priorities should be in our new Corporate Plan and used your input to shape our budget and service priorities. This brought along difficult decisions on the future of services, which are set out with our updates from last year's budget.
“As we look ahead to 2025/26 and 2026/27, there’s no doubt significant challenges remain as we need to make further savings of £12.7m to bridge the gap over the next two years which is a great improvement on the savings target of £31.89m before we set the budget earlier this year. The aim of the council is to stop using reserves to balance the budget by 2027. While there is still considerable uncertainty around budget settlements, we’ve already approved £1.1m of savings with £0.4m more indicated. Leaving us £11.2m to find.
“While charges and income generation will help, we now need your input again to help focus our attention on areas of service you would like to see prioritised. This short survey is open until midnight on Sunday 3 November 2024 and will indicate willingness to see increases to charges and council tax rates, in order to protect services.
“Thank you for taking part and helping us shape the council of the future.”
Local authorities have faced a difficult financial landscape for over a decade. Since 2010/11 Moray Council has approved recurring savings of almost £80 million..
Like all councils, we’re facing further rising costs, reduced budgets and increased demand for services. Just like our household budgets, the council is experiencing soaring inflation and rapidly rising energy, goods and service costs.
When setting the budget in 2024/25 we knew that more savings would be needed this year. While the exact gap may vary, depending on grant settlements, the scale of what is needed is clear.
Savings were achieved through removal of vacant posts, operational service reductions or reducing existing posts.
It’s inevitable that services will have to be reduced further and that we may have to target our limited resources to meet greatest need. We’re continuing to think very differently about what and how we can provide services that are financially sustainable. We want to engage our community in what Moray Council of the future should be like. This is why we’re asking you to complete surveys, provide us with feedback on the future of services and keep up-to-date with budget developments via our news and social media channels.
Remind yourself about the 2024/25 budget updates and consultations, including feedback, here.
The future of the leisure and libraries services was subject to a separate public consultation, which will report back in October 2024.
Consultation findings
To inform our Corporate Plan, residents were asked about the Council Vision and Priorities, of which around 95% of respondents agreed with. The Council approved its Corporate Plan in February 2024. Progress against actions and key performance indicators is reported in the links below.
In our previous survey, participants were asked about a Council Tax rise, with the choice to make between 3% and 15% at 1% increments. The First Minister announced to freeze council tax for 2024/25 so no increases could be made in this area.
- When participants choices were averaged the increase to Council Tax was 6%.
- 60% of all participants indicated a ‘willingness’ to see Council Tax rise by more than 3%, 40% of all participants indicated a rise of 6% or more and 20% of all participants a rise of 10% or more.
- There was variance across different groups, most noticeable within the 0-16 group where more than half were ‘willing to see rises of 8% or more.
In our previous survey, participants were asked their willingness to increase service charges in specific areas (Leisure and Sports, Secondary School meals, Household Garden Waste permits & Burial charges to recover the cost of service).
- 60% of participants, or more, were willing to see some form of increase in charges but more so in Leisure & Sports and Burials than in Secondary School meals and Garden Waste permits. More than half of participants were willing to see moderate to significant increases within Leisure & Sport services.
- 41% of participants indicated they would be willing to accept the introduction of parking changes for areas not previously charged.
- Although Household Garden Waste Permits has the least ‘appetite’ for increase, almost 60% of participants showed willingness for some increase.
In our previous service, participants indicated their willingness to reduce spending / level of service delivery.
- One third of participants indicated their willingness to see some form of reduction across all service areas.
- A more significant proportion of participants indicated their willingness to see reductions in standard and level of service over those indicating no change within Catering services (55%), Economic Growth & Development Services (Regulatory Services), Climate Change and Economic Development (64%), Housing Services (56%), Communities Services (57%) and Library Services (55%). In the same service areas there was a greater willingness to see moderate – significant reductions, particularly within Economic Growth and Development Services (Regulatory Services, Climate Change and Economic Development) (47%).
- Half of participants indicated they’d be willing to see reductions within Mental Health and Drug & Alcohol Services (50%) and almost a third (33%) would be willing to see Moderate – Significant reductions.
- Almost half of participants indicated they’d be willing to see reductions in Schools – Learning Estate (46%) and Leisure Services (46%).
- The least willingness to see reductions (No Change) was within Primary (64%), Secondary (63%), ASN Services (67%), Social Care Services for Adults (63%), Road Repairs (61%), Roads Winter Maintenance (66%) and Bins & Recycling (60%)
Using the feedback received to the consultations in 2023/24, decisions were made on service specific proposals. These included:
- An uplift in charges to fully recover the cost for the burials service, saving £165,000 a year. As supported by 65% of survey respondents.
- Withdrawing from the school catering Food for Life scheme, saving £70,000 a year. Just under 55% of survey respondents supported a reduction in this service.
- Introducing dynamic pricing in schools to respond to market trends, keeping the cost of a meal within the free school meal allowance but saving £5,000 a year. Just over 60% of survey respondents supported this action.
- Reduction in street lighting maintenance due to the introduction of LED lights resulting in less faults being reported, will save £25,000 in the first year. Just under 40% of survey respondents supported some reduction in this service.
- Reduction of opening hours of Household Waste and Recycling Centres, closing one weekday each and saving £25,000 a year. Supported by 77% of respondents, of which 42% indicated there would be limited impact on them.
- Reduction of support for animal health services within Environmental Health giving a saving of £30,000 a year.
- Taking a commercialised approach to industrial rent (following existing rent review cycles) gave a saving of £65,000 a year.
- A reduction in the community training budget and capacity for participatory budgeting support saved £90,000 a year.
- Customer services: reduce size of staff team (two posts currently vacant). Saving = £114,000 a year.
- Outdoor learning: reduce the service that supports outdoor learning and the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. Saving £115,000 a year, now revised to £58,000 a year.
- Mobile libraries: retire the mobile library bus alongside development of an alternative service delivery model. Saving = £20,000 a year.
Savings were achieved through removal of vacant posts, operational service reductions or reducing existing posts. The future of the leisure and libraries services was subject to a separate public consultation, which will report back in October 2024.
The first stage of consultation around the 2025/26 budget is open from Thursday 17 October until Sunday 3 November 2024. The 10 minutes survey asks you to rank the importance of services.
There is also an opportunity for members of the public to attend an in-person drop-in on Tuesday 12 November to discuss their priorities and ideas with council senior management.
Sessions will run 2-5pm and 6-9pm at St Giles Church in Elgin. Places must be booked in advance online and participants will be asked to choose three services they’re most interested in speaking about. Every effort will be made to allocate attendees their preferred service, depending on capacity.
Book your place now to contribute to Moray’s future.
In 2023 and early 2024 we ran an in-depth and focussed review of our leisure and libraries estate. We asked for your views and invited members of the community to take part in focus groups to better understand how we could deliver these services differently and more effectively in future.
The result of this review is due to report to Full Council in October 2024. Early indications show there is a potential to save a maximum of £1m with a redevelopment of these services. Elected Members will make a decision on this, which will be shared, later in the year.