Working parents are worried they will be burdened with extra childcare costs after Kensington and Chelsea Council passed plans to change play services.

After-school and holiday childcare for four to seven-year-olds will be transferred from the council to primary schools or other providers as of next April. Currently, parents pay £6 for an after school session, or £2 if on benefits and £12 a day during the holidays at the 11 venues run by the council.

Parents are worried they will now have to pay up to £28 a day in line with Hammersmith and Fulham who have already taken the same step.

Parents, schools and governors say they only found out last week about the changes made in July. The Labour group has accused the council of sneaking through the changes during the summer holidays.

Adam Coulter, a parent governor at Bousfield Primary School in Earls Court, said: “The play centre is an absolute godsend for parents, as working parents we use it all the time. It’s really affordable but when they change it lots of people will struggle.

“I’m a governor and I only just found out which is appalling. The staff are upset about it as well. The council claimed they put out a consultation to schools and parents but we didn’t know anything about it.”

Harrison Littler, the Labour group’s family and children’s services committee member, has accused the ruling Conservative council of having an ‘unwarranted fetish for austerity’ when they have enough funds.

“The Tories are asking themselves ‘how can we wash our hands of this service in the name of so-called efficiency savings?’. In the process, they’re risking the ability of parents to remain in work or study and the development of the children who benefit from these services.

“They’re taking a cut now, fix later attitude as they’ve accepted some schools will not want or be able to take responsibility for providing play services.”

A spokesman said the council is bringing itself in line with the majority of other councils and will work in partnerships with schools and the voluntary sector.

He said: “We’re confident the new service will be excellent and to ensure that, we will be giving schools transitional funding so play remains affordable for parents, any fee increases are gradual and take effect only when they can be offset by the introduction of new tax-free childcare benefit.

“Making this change will help the council reduce its management costs, which is necessary because since 2010 our education service has lost more than £12 million in government grants.”