The service, which includes roads and parks maintenance, snow clearing and refuse collection, will fare reasonably well in terms of capital investment over the next four years with £7.6million allocated for improvements to roads, bridges and lighting, £2.7million for improvements to Kelso town centre, £3.8million for waste management and £1million for public toilets.

But the department’s revenue budget in the next financial year has fallen in cash terms by £500,000 to £31.2million, despite non-wage inflation topping £800,000.

New spending of £964,000 will cover a loss of income from design fees for capital projects and a reduction in income (and the increased cost of provision) of school meals, which come under the department’s catering and cleaning division.

As reported on page one, reserves will be used to cover the increased cost of winter maintenance following the big freeze, and an extra £118,000 has been allocated to boost the £2.5million already exceeded this year to “maintain the current level of winter maintenance based on three years’ average conditions”.

New housing developments need street lights and the cost of that provision will be an extra £95,000, while another £50,000 has been set aside to pay for legal costs defending a claim by First Bus over alleged unpaid student pass income.

Mandatory reviews of speed limits on all A and B class roads will cost £85,000 with £50,000 due to be spent, again to satisfy Scottish Government guidelines, on a similar study of disabled parking spaces. It will cost a further £100,000 to compile an inventory for all roads, pavements, cycleways and streetlights.

By far the biggest single efficiency will come with the controversial switch to fortnightly bin collections.