MEMBERS of Dunbar Primary School’s parent council have expressed frustration at being charged “in excess of £280” to host their school summer fair at the town’s Bleachingfield Centre.

East Lothian Council confirmed that it was unable to support primary schools in the county holding weekend fairs on school premises.

The council said this was due to staff shortages within its facilities management teams, meaning lets could not be supported for the schools at weekends.

The council said that fairs and other weekend events could still go ahead at other venues, including at secondary schools, whose facilities teams are supplied by Forth Electrical Services (FES).

Dunbar Primary’s parent council planned to host the event at Bleachingfield, a venue it said was suggested by the local authority, but was unhappy at being charged to use it.

Nicola Tait, parent council chair, spoke on BBC Radio Scotland’s Lunchtime Live programme to express her frustrations.

She said: “This ban started in November and it affected out Christmas [fair] planning but we had thought this would be done by now but it is not. They sent us a list of premises that we could use. They suggested the Bleachingfield Centre but they didn’t at that time say that they were going to charge us for it.

“They have told us that it will be in excess of £280 because they still haven’t given us what this year’s fee is so we’re having to go in with a week’s notice assuming it won’t be too much more [than what that venue was charging for a hire last year].

“That’s £300 that’s not going to be spent on books for the kids, sports equipment or the other things the school was hoping to do with the money that we raise.”

The summer fair will still go ahead next Saturday (May 13).

Helen Schoen, a member of the parent council, told the Courier: “I have volunteered with Dunbar Primary School for many years and I have loved it. But the council and their attitude is really pushing any goodwill to support community events to the absolute limit.”

A council spokesperson said: “Due to staff shortages within our facilities management teams, we have business continuity constraints which mean that we cannot support lets at weekends in our primary schools at the current time. This is because we do not have the resources to service these requirements.

“Our secondary schools remain available for event lets and can be used by primary schools. We also have a number of alternative facilities across our communities which are available for event lets.

“Recruitment continues for facilities team members to alleviate these pressures; however, in the meantime we continue to engage with parent councils to find alternative solutions within their local area from the facilities that are available to them.

“Any bookings of space within a community centre will be subject to appropriate council charging policies and relevant discounts will be applied.”