A COMPROMISE has been reached between district councillors over London Colney First Adventure Nursery's fees but parents still say the increases are too high.

The cost of day care at the nursery run by Leisure Connection on behalf of St Albans District Council has been in question since March when parents rallied against average increases of 35 per cent agreed by a councillor rather than a committee.

Councillor John Newman, portfolio holder for leisure, defended the original increase, saying he wanted to bring the nursery cost in line with other childcare centres.

But, at the district council's cabinet on Tuesday, April 8, London Colney councillor Malcolm MacMillan asked members to reconsider.

He said: "I am fighting this because this level of increase is nothing short of astronomical. I don't believe any councillors are in support of this. Years ago Leisure Connection came to us asking to run this nursery and the ethos was not to compare prices with nurseries in the private sector. This was never supposed to be a profit-making service."

Councillor MacMillan said the proposed increase had "put the fear of God into parents" who were afraid they might have to leave work to look after their children or that the nursery could close if its costs were not met.

Councillor Newman said: "I accept that myself and others have had afterthoughts and it might have been better to bring the increases in gradually."

Parents attended the meeting to express their anger at the rise, but were ushered out while members discussed the council's confidential contractural obligations to Leisure Connection. One mother, who did not wish to be named, said the increase would see her paying more for childcare than her monthly mortgage repayments.

After almost an hour, councillors agreed on a 12 per cent increase from May, with no automatic increase planned for next year.

Speaking on behalf of parents after the meeting, Mrs Lena Hopkinson of Valley Road, London Colney, said: "This is good news for the parents who were facing the largest increases, but bad news for those who were facing less than 12 per cent in the first place.

"It is still way above the rate of inflation and will still put a massive dent in the monthly income of any parent with more than one child at the nursery."

Parents will meet tomorrow (Friday, April 11) to discuss their next course of action.

6:12pm Wednesday 9th April 2003

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