Fees could be introduced for hiring Moray Council parks for public events.
Members of the economic development and infrastructure committee next week will be asked to consider charging for the use of areas including Cooper Park in Elgin, Grant Park in Forres and Lossiemouth esplanade as an additional source of income.
At the moment fees only apply to funfairs and circuses.
The proposals follow a consultation held earlier this year.
Around three-quarters of those responding thought the council should recover costs associated with events.
There was little support for charging schools, free to enter community events or charities, although more than a third thought a fee should be considered for community events with a cost for entry.
In his report open space manager James Hunter explained local authorities across the UK already had fees in place for those using parks and other areas.
He said: “While there is no consistency of approach across councils, many do levy a charge for hiring a park or green space for an event, including an
administration fee and refundable deposit.
“Despite the interest from commercial, private and other events the council currently has no consistent charging structure or events policy in place beyond the statutory licensing fees required for some events.”
Suggested fees for a small commercial event of up to 199 attendees include a £300 daily charge with an additional £50 for administration costs and a refundable deposit of £500 to be paid up front.
Charities could get 50% off
That rises to £500 per day for major events for more than 1,000 people, plus £100 for administration and a £5,000 deposit.
A 50% reduction will be offered to registered charities and not for profit organisations running community events.
The committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss the proposals.
