Council delaying rises in local fees

Frustrated councillors have delayed on proposed increases to a wide range of South Ayrshire Council fees and charges saying they hadn't been given a chance to properly scrutinise the proposals.

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The report, presented to the final full council of 2025, outlined plans to increase fees and charges across 24 service areas from April 2026 as part of efforts to address a projected £15.3m budget gap for 2026/27.

If approved at the minimum recommended level, known as “Option 1", the proposals would bring in almost £700k in additional income.

Further options could raise up to £1.32m, depending on the level of increases selected.

The report followed the council's approval of its 2026/27 budget strategy in November, which included a commitment to bring forward fee and charge proposals for consideration ahead of next year's budget.