Aberdeenshire councillors have approved a series of price increases for library and cultural facilities in the region.
The education committee was asked to agree the proposals when they met at Woodhill House yesterday.
The room hire fee for a children’s group will rise from £3.25 to £5.25 and library fines will go up from 60p to 90p.
However, late fees for junior books have been scrapped to encourage children in the region to read more than they do at the moment.
The committee unanimously agreed the increases. Councillor Martin Ford said: “Some of the charges have been changed and some people won’t be happy. The council has already made the decision to move to full cost recovery.”
The move comes ahead of similar proposals to increase leisure fees which will be considered next week.
The price for using sports facilities – including swimming pools – will rise significantly if a new report is approved.
The proposals would hike up some prices by as much as 84%. Aberdeenshire Council estimates the move could bring in an extra £700,000 into the authority’s coffers.
Under the plans, swimming fees are expected to rise the most, with the price of a junior swim for 3-18 year olds rising from £1.90 to £3.50.
The increases for standard individuals will be capped at 20% in 2017-18 before being fully implemented in 2018-19.
