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Charges agreed for hiring Moray parks with exemptions for charity groups

Cooper Park in Elgin is one of several areas across Moray where those hosting a commercial event will now be charged a hire fee.
Cooper Park in Elgin is one of several areas across Moray where those hosting a commercial event will now be charged a hire fee.

Fees will be introduced for hiring Moray Council parks and green spaces, but most charges will be waved for charities and not for profit groups.

The exception is for events that charge an entry fee and have more than 1,000 people attending, which will incur a daily cost of £250 with an additional administration fee.

Members of the economic development and infrastructure committee agreed a charging structure for commercial events held in areas across Moray as an additional source of income.

Most of the parks are held in trust or are on common good land so the money raised from charging will go to the relevant group.

Chairman of the meeting Graham Leadbitter moved for charges to be dropped  for charity and not for profit groups for events up to 1,000 people, but a fee for major events when an entry charge is in place to be applied.

Councillor John Cowe is pleased most fees have been waved for charity and community groups.

Independent councillor for Heldon and Laich John Cowe agreed.

He said: “I’m very pleased to hear that because I think to charge charities and organisations for an open air event in Grant Park or Cooper Park or the esplanade in Lossiemouth is absolutely and totally wrong.

“Our local community council is not a charity but it organises a lot of events and they should not be charged for that.”

Conservative councillor for Buckie Tim Eagle called for personal trainers who run outdoor exercises classes to be exempt from fees which was agreed.

This along with the other charges will be reviewed regularly by the full council.

A consultation was held earlier this year into charging to hire parks and green space, with around three-quarters of those who responded saying the council should recover costs associated with events.

Fees would be ‘totally wrong’

Under the new fees a small commercial event of up to 199 attendees will include a £300 daily charge with an additional £50 for administration costs and a refundable deposit of £500 to be paid up front.

That rises to £500 per day for major events of more than 1,000 people, plus £100 for administration and a £5,000 deposit.

Information on the charges will be made available on the council’s website along with other information so people can apply for hire online.