PLANS to increase charges for children who enjoy stays at outdoor learning and specialist education units are to be discussed by council chiefs.

Sandwell Council's cabinet is being asked to approve an increase of up to three per cent in fees for schools who send their pupils to four residential centres.

The borough is one of the few councils to still operate outdoor education units after other authorities closed them due to budget cuts.

Education officers have recommended the rise in fees saying they will generate income to help operate an ‘efficient high-quality service’.  

The move comes after a previous increase in 2017 was deferred after schools raised concerns about pressures on their overall budgets.

The outdoor centres receive no subsidies from the council and have to generate £2 million revenue costs by charging for each pupil.

Edgmond Hall is a country house in 43 acres of gardens, woodland and fields in rural Shropshire while the Frank Chapman Centre near Bewdley in Worcestershire specialises in adventurous outdoor activities and environmental learning.

Ingestre Hall is a 400 year-old Jacobean mansion in Staffordshire and the UKs only dedicated residential arts centre and Plas Gwynant Outdoor Education Centre sits at the foot of Snowdon  and runs breaks in the Snowdonia National Park. 

A report to the cabinet says some 6,000 Sandwell children and young people enjoy residential stays each year, while 2,000 make day visits.

Recommending the proposal, education officers have said: “The proposed charges are for a two per cent increase to Sandwell schools and academy schools in line with inflation, and a three per cent increase for non Sandwell schools, with a resulting overall 2.4 per cent increase in term-time income in 2020/21.”

Councillors have been warned that keeping charges at current levels would not account for inflation, including pay and living wage rises, while making charges too high risks schools not using the facilities with reduced income and fewer benefits to children.

The proposed increase would see the cost of a four day stay increase by four to five pounds dependent on the time of year.

A spokesperson for Sandwell Council said: “We subsidise charges to Sandwell schools and academies, to keep the pressure on school budgets and families’ finances to a minimum.

“We want children to access these sites which are a very much valued part of our service.

“To do this, we also work with non-Sandwell schools and groups and actively promote use of the centres all year round, including for leisure purposes, weddings, and events.”

Cabinet members will make a decision on the recommendations at their meeting today (Wednesday July 17)