SCHOOLS in Burnley and Pendle are paying ‘outrageous’ prices for essential equipment as part of the Building Schools for the Future scheme, it has been revealed.

Head teachers are being forced to pay at least double the usual price to kit out their schools with key items such as chairs, desks and laptops because of the BSF contract Lancashire County Council has signed.

Typical prices include £1,000 for an identical £200 computer desk bought from the same supplier as well as £24 for a chair which could be purchased for £9.

The BSF schools, which will be handed to the council in 25 years time, have been built under a Private Finance Initiative, PFI, with contractor Catalyst.

Those already built are Pendle Vale, Shuttleworth College, Sir John Thursby Community College - which is co-located with Ridgewood Community High School.

Marsden Heights Community College, Unity College, Hambledon Community College and Blessed Trinity RC Community College, which are still due to open, will also be affected.

School bosses, who agree new schools are needed, have called the PFI scheme’s extra costs “scandalous”.

They have described it as ‘absolutely ridiculous,’ a ‘rip-off’ and a ‘high price to pay.’ One head said paying for PFI now accounted for 10 per cent of his school’s budget.

The costings will be discussed by cabinet members after the education councillor Pat Case was left shocked when headteachers made the revelation.

Les Turner, secretary of the Lancashire secretary for the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “One school which is part of BSF had a £40,000 surplus before it joined but now it is in a £120,000 deficit.

“PFI has produced some benefits in buildings and facilities in the Burnley and Pendle areas but it appears to be a high price to pay.

“It does require an explanation as to why a £9 chair in a catalogue is £20 odd through the BSF procurement process.

"Who would you pay £24 for a £9 chair? It is a rip-off and is absolutely ridiculous.

“PFIs are like the emperors new clothes. Who would be against brand new schools and state of the art facilities?

"But it takes a brave person to say ‘hang on a second, what is going on here, who is getting all this money, is it the stakeholders?’”

Coun Gordon Birtwistle, Leader of Burnley Council, said: "My view is that PFI schemes full stop are an exorbitantly expensive way of providing capital assets for the country. It's crazy and outrageous.

"PFI schemes are a Government scheme to build capital projects using private companies, but we now pay through the nose for it.

"We've got five new schools in Burnley, but they will cost, over time, a fortune.

"We could have had five schools for the price of three.

"It's an outrage that tax-payers are being ripped off by PFIs.”

Coun Julie Cooper, Labour Leader in Burnley, said: "I always try to get value for money because I don't like waste of any kind.

"If they can get chairs at £9 instead of £24 then they should, providing the extra money is spent elsewhere in the schools."

Paul Wright, head of Pendle Community High School and College, which is based on the Pendle Vale campus, said: “Ten percent of our budget is spent on PFI, my budget is £2.1million and I’m in deficit.

“They are creating some amazing schools but there is a question of sustainability.”

Martin Burgess, head of Shuttleworth College, said: “As a headteacher of nearly 20 I have found issues with value for money over PFI.”

Mike Tull headteacher of Marsden Heights Community College said: “I look forward to the state-of-the-art facilities but I am aware of some issues we will incur regarding the costings from talking to other headteacher colleagues who have been through the process.”

Lancashire County Councillor Pat Case, cabinet member for children and schools, said: "We take value for money very seriously and are working hard with our partner, the Local Education Partnership, to ensure that the BSF project reflects this.

"However, it is important to remember that under the terms of the contract in 25 years the schools must be in the same condition as they were when they opened, and that the initial costs include maintenance and replacement of equipment throughout that time.”