Confidential papers seen by the Chronicle & Echo show the estimated cost of the new school meals service is £16 million, of which only £8.5 million is covered by Government funding.

If schools agree to be part of the plan, the remaining £7.5 million would be raised by taking money from their individual capital funding budgets over the next three years.

Some schools could be expected to pay as much as £9,000 per year to cover the cost of refitting the 243 school kitchens in the county that currently do not have hot meal provision or rely on an external contractor.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said the hot meals plan was not compulsory and all the schools that signed up understood it was an investment in the future.

The spokesman said: "We all know a nutritious and healthy meal is a vital part of a child's day helping them work better while at school. Our ultimate goal is a hot meal for every pupil and the current plan will see an increase in the number of pupils having a healthy, hot meal at school from its current figure of 50 per cent.

"The successful bid for Government funds means Northamptonshire has been awarded £8.5 million on the understanding that there is matched funding from schools.

"This means there will be an initial cost to schools so we can get the necessary infrastructure and equipment in place. With 83 per cent of schools choosing to support in the scheme, we're delighted to be working with them on such an important scheme. They recognise this is an investment in the future and as well as the obvious benefits for students, schools will benefit from the economies of scale that a countywide service brings."

As well as providing training and menus, the new service would ensure all meals complied with the Government's nutritional guidelines, which will be introduced in secondary schools from September and are already in place in primary schools.

The expected Government funding of £8 million is the biggest allocation to any local authority in the county.

One Northamptonshire school governor, who did not wish to be named, said: "This is extortionate when you consider that the capital value of the equipment being put into some of these schools is a fraction of the actual price of the equipment they are to receive to operate the service and some are already receiving a perfectly adequate service with no cost whatsoever. These schools are being prevented from having the option to continue this service as the production kitchens that currently supply them are being "enticed" into the county council scheme with inducements of brand new kitchens and facilities. Where is the choice, where is the value for money?"