Two community councils in Nairn could merge to create a stronger voice for residents.
Nairn Suburban and Nairn West community councils have been holding joint meetings recently as part of a streamlining and cost-cutting exercise and now hope to go a stage further and unite.
Combined, the two councils’ would represent around 4,400 people compared with almost 5,000 people within River council area.
Now a public meeting will be held in the town’s academy on Thursday to consider the permanent amalgamation of the two community councils, and leaders are urging residents to have their say.
Under the plans, Nairn River will remain a separate group.
Nairn Suburban chairman Dick Youngson said: “We want to get the thoughts of the wider community and not so much those of the community council members. We did this a few years ago when we tried to have all three councils merged. River decided not to come in.
“We feel this would result in a stronger community council, with more councillors, the combined areas almost equalling Nairn River.”
Rosemary Young, chairwoman of Nairn West, said she had always believed there should just be one community council in the town.
She added: “We need to stop wastage and work more efficiently together.”
However Tommoy Hogg, of River Community Council said: “We did our own mail drop on a single combined council a few years ago to see how people felt.
“Out of 250, only two favoured a merger of all three councils, the rest wanted the status quo.”
A merger would need to be ratified by Highland Council, and could be discussed as soon as next month. If approved, the two groups would merge in November.