South Ayrshire Council has set a £186m budget for 2018/19, which will see a council tax increase of 3%.

The £53.8m raised from this rise will help fund and protect council services.

Councillors agreed on budget savings of almost £3.7m, bringing the total to just under £6m.

Included in the savings are many increases to services, such as car parking charges, road permits, school meals, booking halls and pitches, wedding registration fees and charges related to burials and cremations.

There are also plans to close or merge two medium schools in South Ayrshire.

Restructuring of several different departments and the removal of two posts are also in the approved plans.

These savings allow for additional investment in areas such as increasing school clothing grants by 50%, £20,000 to reinstate a fund to support community galas and £75,000 to support staff training.

The schools at the heart of the community project will be given £65,000 to provide holiday activities for schools in the most socially disadvantaged areas.

Councillor Douglas Campbell said: "What we have agreed today is an unprecedented budget for this council - a budget that has been shaped by our people, for our people.

"It's the outcome of consultation and engagement with thousands of people across South Ayrshire who took the time to have their say - and who we have listened and responded to.

"As a result, this budget genuinely balances the resources we have with the services and facilities people want and need, and I want to thank those people for their participation."