Taken from Daily Post
LIVERPOOL children heading to Colomendy next summer will have to pay £236 for a four-night stay, compared to this year's rate of £84 - or just £56 for those receiving free school meals.

Details of the coming year's pricing structure for the council-owned outdoor education centre in Wales came as the war of words continued over its future.

Opposition Labour councillors claim the prices will escalate if the ruling Liberal Democrats go ahead next week with the plan to lease Colomendy to a private operator for the next 30 years.

But Children's Services executive member Cllr Paul Clein said the future of Colomendy will be in jeopardy unless outdoor centre special-ists Kingswood take over the running of the estate, owned by the council since 1957.

The council has negotiated a lower rate of charges compared to the normal fees in place at other Kingswood and rival sites, where the day rates can be as high as £73 including VAT.

Cllr Clein said 75 Liverpool schools have already booked places at Colomendy in the coming year - even with the new pricing structure - compared to 37 Liverpool schools for the whole of the past year.

Labour's education spokeswoman Cllr Jane Corbett said she had not given up hope of blocking the deal that will seal the future of Colomendy until 2036.

She said: "The figures demonstrate quite clearly that poorer children will have to go in the middle of winter to pay anything like comparable prices.

"It could stigmatise children because those going in winter and off-peak will be readily identified as the lesser-off, compared to betteroff children who can afford to go in the peak season. Currently there is no price variation at all."

Prices for the coming year show daily rates ranging from £24 per night to £59 per night.

Children receiving free school meals can claim a discount of up to 50% for 43 weeks of the year, but during a nine week period between May and July - the most costly weeks of the year under the new regime - there are no discounts.

During that period a four-night stay will cost up to £236 for visits between Monday and Friday morning.

Cllr Clein said: "Schools in Liverpool, including a number of inner-city schools, have in the past year gone to other Kingswood centres where there are no discounts, because they are not happy with what has been on offer at Colomendy. They have voted with their feet."

Kingswood will be funding the subsidy scheme for Liverpool children to the tune of £100,000, a sum which Cllr Clein hopes the council will match next April to enable more children to visit Colomendy at reduced prices.

But Cllr Corbett said: "What a way for Liverpool to celebrate its 800th birthday by farming out a much-loved facility to the private sector."

New tariff for education centre will more than double costs next year

INNER city community worker Alan Grace often takes parties of children to Colomendy from Kensington, Liverpool.

Last month he and three adult helpers went to Colomendy with a party of 24 children and the total cost for a weekend was £864.

The same weekend period next year will cost over £3,300 without a discount or £1,666 with a 50% discount if a lower price is agreed. Even the lower price is double the amount paid last month.

Next month Mr Grace heads again to Colomendy with three adult helpers and 24 children and the cost will be £900.

In September of next year the cost will be almost £2,600, or £1,300 if the full discount is applied to all of the children.

New rules at Colomendy will mean fewer adults being allowed to accompany school parties unless they pay.

The ratio is one adult for four young children and one adult for every eight older children, with extra help allowed for

special schools. But Kingswood officials are increasing staff at the centre to around 100, meaning greater supervision and assistance for children.

This year, Liverpool children have paid £18.75 a night, or £12.50 for those who have been eligible to receivie free school dinners.