A letter signed by Mark Palmer and forwarded to the 'Forres Gazette' said the proposed cuts of £20 million over the next four financial years could be an under-estimate of the amount of savings needed. In the letter, Mr Palmer sets out the scope of the problem. A total of £5 million must be saved on that year's budget every year for four years, which would have the cumulative effect of cutting as much as £50 million over the total period.

Local businessman and vice-chairman of the Forres Community Council, Bob Hellyer told the "Forres Gazette" that he was deeply concerned by the situation.

The proposed cuts could see Nelson's Tower and the Forres Tolbooth closed, with reduced opening times and job losses at Forres Swimming Pool.

Meantime, community councillor John Mackenzie is hoping that the public will get behind a plan to try and save the two historic buildings which have an important place in the history of the town.

He has organised a public meeting in St Leonard's Church Hall on Monday, January 18, at 7.30pm to discuss the way ahead.

A number of people have contacted the 'Gazette' office to voice their concerns about the impact of the proposed cuts and many have collected Moray Council consultation forms which must be returned before December 15.

Among those who gave their views was Ella Young, a member of Transition Towns Forres.

"It's a pity so many vulnerable groups are targeted for cuts," she said. "I'd like to see less spent on 'fat cats' like consultants, to keep services going for the support of people needing extra help."

Mrs Young said she would be happy to have fewer recycling collections and suggested the council collect boxes fortnightly instead of weekly and monthly for green waste in the winter. She also suggested that people should be prepared to pay more for swimming to help with the problem there.

"The current price of 50p for a senior is obviously subsidised and way below charges elsewhere," she added. "I'd also be happy to see streetlights turned off between 1am and 5am, excepting Fridays and Saturdays. I know some people see this as a security risk, but as well as saving electricity and thus carbon dioxide emissions which contribute to climate change, the council might have to pay less in Climate Change Levy charges."

A number of people have also contacted the "Forres Gazette to claim that any plans hatched by the local authority to charge for car parking in Forres might flounder as some land used for parking around the town, including a bit of land behind Mackenzie and Cruickshank, was donated by local people about 30 years ago, on the provision that the sites were used for free car parking.

Retired businesswoman Sandra Falconer further claims that land that was the old Co-op car park was a garden given over by a woman in the town, along with land at the bottom of Cumming Street that belonged to a house on Orchard Road.

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