Parents facing rise in school charges

Charges for school meals and trips for children in Dudley will rise in the New Year under council plans.

Parents will have to fork out an extra £1 a month for cooked meals in primary schools from April.

And fees for youngsters visiting the Astley Burf Outdoor Centre in Stourport are also set to rise, climbing from £88 to £95 per week while a weekend trip will rise to £50 from £47, from next September.

Increases in costs are being blamed for the proposed changes, due to be rubber-stamped on January 11.

The five pence a day rise in school meals, which would affect primary and special schools, would take the cost of a cooked meal to £1.75 a day or £8.75 a week for pupils.

The move is expected to generate £100,000 extra income.

Around 150 meals a day are initially lost following a price increase but takeup usually recovers within seven weeks as parents return to the service, a report published on the council website states."

Cabinet member for children's services Councillor Liz Walker said: "School meals do go up every year and this increase is in line with a reasonable inflationary price.

"It is still good value for money, children get a very good meal which parents don't have to prepare."

Explaining the Astley Burf rise, Councillor Walker said: "The centre runs itself and that is it only real income," she said. "It is necessary due to the rise in costs of food and fuel above inflation."

Both rises follow increases last year.