The decision sits against a backdrop of almost £15m of savings to be made over the next two years and covers works such as £3.8m for the learning estate, including spend on the new Forres Academy; £3.5m for road improvements; and £2.3m for bridges, including the potential match funding for the Cloddach Bridge.

A further breakdown of the spend is £421,000 for car park maintenance; £631,000 for climate change action; £2.9m set aside for vehicle replacement; £62,000 on flood risk management; £183,000 for harbours; £346,000 for ICT upgrades and maintenance; £167,000 for the industrial portfolio; £893,000 available for Open Spaces; £315,000 on traffic and road safety with £680,000 allocated to street lighting; and £338,000 for waste management upgrades.

A number of services have projects and spending being reviewed as part of wider budget discussions and confirmed spend for libraries, leisure estate and depots will follow.

Council leader, Cllr Kathleen Robertson, said spending needs to be cautious but sustainable: “While we’re looking at savings on the one hand, we also have commitments for spending that we won’t shy away from. We’re committed to improving services and facilities where we can see the benefit and value in doing so.”