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Plan to hike school hire charges        5/9/14

 

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar faces criticism for planning to introduce hefty charges for hiring school premises.

 

After-hours school lets are currently free if used for youth or children’s activities or £7.20 for community use.

 

The council wants to charge up to £30 an hour from next month.

 

A ban of using playing pitches and changing rooms at most schools would also be introduced.

 

The exception would be Daliburgh and Westside schools though they would not be available on Saturday afternoons. Grass pitches would cost £40 per hour to hire.

 

The Comhairle said it wants to make it easier to book and use facilities.

 

Its intention to introduce one free night at schools has sparked fears of acrimony between local groups competing for the offer.

 

Critics say the planned charges are excessive and will kill off many youth, sports and community clubs particularly in districts where there are no alternative venues.

 

The council ran a consultation during the summer holidays but following a raft of complaints has been forced to extend the deadline to 26 September.

 

A report said: “The current system of administering letting arrangements is decentralised and by its very and by its very nature labour intensive and paper based.

 

“It is anticipated that by providing a corporate booking process administrative savings can be made.”

 

It highlighted that the council had to pay for a relief janitors to cover school bookings.

 

The council would also stop community groups hiring meeting rooms in its Sandwick Road offices to force them to use school and community halls around the town.