New charges are not extreme'

I feel I have to respond to the information I have read recently regarding the increase to fees at Honiton Primary School for the use of facilities by the Brownies and Guides.

I feel I have to respond to the information I have read recently regarding the increase to fees at Honiton Primary School for the use of facilities by the Brownies and Guides.

I understand that, mathematically, a 1,200 per cent increase seems colossal, but when you consider how small the hourly rate of hire was for such a large facility (which I think some people are failing recognise) the new proposal of charges seem perfectly reasonable.

For the past three years, they (the Brownies and Guides) have been paying �1.75 per hour for the hire of the school hall - how extremely reasonable!

If we consider the cost of hiring a smaller facility, such as a badminton court or a squash court at the leisure centre, you will be paying in excess of �10 per hour.

I fully support and appreciate the voluntary work that motivated and kind-hearted people devote to the out of school clubs for kids, and my own children attend these clubs too, but, looking at the bigger picture, an increase in terms of a percentage will always sound worse than the actual cost, ie a 10 per cent increase actually relates to 17p

When you see that a charge is going to increase by �6.50 when the original fee was so small, then there is not really an issue.

An extra �11 per session, spread over the cost of all the children attending, is not extreme.

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