Dismay as free swimming session are scrapped

Scrapping free swimming for youngsters and pensioners will have a "hugely negative" impact in the West Midlands, council leaders warned today.

Around 100,000 over-60s and under-16s in the Black Country and Staffordshire have signed up for free swimming sessions since they were introduced by Labour in 2008. But today cash-strapped council bosses in the region spoke of their frustration after they were scrapped.

Sports and Olympics minister Hugh Robertson described the scheme "a luxury" that could no longer be afforded.

The scrapping of free swimming was announced in the Commons yesterday as part of a raft of measures and there will be further cuts and tax rises announced in an emergency budget next Tuesday.

Wolverhampton City Council's Labour leader Councillor Roger Lawrence today said that ending free swimming was a "backwards step".

He said: "This was a key part of a package for helping people to live active lives. Ending it will have a huge negative impact."

Latest figures show that more than 33,300 people had signed up for free swimming in Wolverhampton.

Some 1,737 pensioners and 9,673 under 16s were signed up to the scheme in South Staffordshire and in Dudley pensioners and youngsters had made use of 60,363 free swims up to February this year.

Councillor Roger Lees, deputy leader of community services at South Staffordshire Council said: "We're obviously disappointed as I am sure many local swimmers will be.

"However, we understand that in these tough economic times, tough decisions have to be made."

More than 10,000 under-16s and over-60s took advantage of free swimming at leisure centres in Cannock and Rugeley in 2009.

And Cannock Chase District Council is examining whether they can still provide some elements on the scheme, despite the central government cuts.