strength
Learn from homes already handed over
Speyview has delivered affordable homes in Aberlour.
Occupation provides evidence about suitability that plans cannot.
What could help →Moray, in numbers
Issues and SWOT
Moray council area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths to build on. Pressures to address. Choices to make.
These assessments connect evidence with proposed responses. They are not ratings of council performance.
Strengths
Weaknesses
weakness
Keep regeneration sites moving into use
Grant Lodge still needs restoration before it can reopen.
Permission is progress, but an unused building does not yet serve residents.
What could help →weakness
Make room for homes people can afford
The average home price is £204,000 (July 2026) in Moray council area. This is about £8,000 higher than the Scotland average for the same month.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
What could help →Opportunities
opportunity
Connect new homes with an active town centre
South Street combines housing, business space and a pedestrian link.
Mixed use could support daily activity beyond shopping hours.
What could help →opportunity
Connect local skills to local opportunities
26.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or higher (20 March 2022) in Moray council area. People aged 16+ with a degree or higher ranged from 19.4% in Buckie to 32.6% in Forres — a gap of 13.1 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
What could help →opportunity
Target safety work where problems repeat
Recorded-crime figures cover the whole Moray council area; they do not identify individual wards.
These are police-recorded crimes under Scottish counting rules. They cannot be ranked alongside the mapped incidents shown for other UK nations.
What could help →opportunity
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
What could help →Threats
threat
Fund Grant Lodge’s ongoing use as well as restoration
Grant Lodge’s next phase follows planning and heritage consent.
The site still needs a deliverable operating model; this is a prospective risk.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Learn from homes already handed overCouncil handover announcement. | The Moray Council | |
| Keep regeneration sites moving into useMay 2026 consent update. | The Moray Council | |
| Connect new homes with an active town centreMain construction started in June 2026. | The Moray Council | |
| Fund Grant Lodge’s ongoing use as well as restorationConsents confirmed, public reopening not established. | The Moray Council | |
| Make room for homes people can affordThe average home price is £204,000 (July 2026) in Moray council area. | The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers | |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities26.9% with a degree or higher; 20 March 2022. People aged 16+ with a degree or higher ranged from 19.4% in Buckie to 32.6% in Forres — a gap of 13.1 percentage points. 20 March 2022; 8 of 8 current wards have comparable figures. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | |
| Target safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |