Price of Shropshire school meals to go up

Primary school meals will cost more in Shropshire from next summer, following the loss of a government grant.

A 10p increase will see primary school meals in the county cost £1.95, which Councillor Aggie Caesar-Homden said was "still excellent value for money".

The proposal was approved at a meeting of Shropshire Council's cabinet.

The school lunch grant in England is scheduled to end in March, a move that is expected to save the government £80m a year.

School meal campaigners, including Jamie Oliver and the organisation Sustain, have criticised the decision to end the grant.

'Little choice'

Ms Caesar-Homden, cabinet member for children and young people's services, has defended the decision to increase the price of meals.

She said: "Shropshire's school meals are among the best in the country. We have managed to avoid putting up the price over the past few years; unfortunately we have been left with little choice."

The cabinet meeting also approved plans to save £100,000 by closing some of the county's public lavatories. A detailed report will go before the council in January.

Shropshire Council needs to find savings of £76m over four years, £20m of which must be made by the end of the financial year.