NO RISES? Leisure and sports charges could be pegged at current levels by North Lincolnshire Council
Sport and leisure users could be facing a year without having to pay any increase in fees to North Lincolnshire Council.
The authority reviews its scale of charges at this time of year. And the good news for sporty types and leisure centre lovers is there may be no rise from April 1.
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The Scunthorpe Pods leisure centre
The council runs facilities like the Pods in Scunthorpe and Ancholme Leisure Centre near Brigg, owns many sports grounds and oversees some golf courses.
A decision on charges for the 2013/14 financial year is to be made by Councillor Carl Sherwood (Brigg and Wolds), the cabinet member overseeing sport and leisure.
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A report prepared by council officers for Councillor Sherwood declares: "We are proposing freezing fees and charges."
The officers highlight the results of the authority's own survey which show "value for money is becoming an issue" and that "recessionary factors" need to be considered.
Consultation revealed that 50 per cent of sports users and facility hirers are not prepared to pay more.
And the officers' report warns that charging too much could put off existing and potential customers, which having an adverse effect on income.
It adds: "Evidence shows that increasing participation can contribute towards reducing crime and improving health."
The 'scale of charges' decision is expected to be announced towards the end of this week.
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2 Comments
by scunny22
Monday, March 04 2013, 10:17PM
“What i would like to see to increase use of the gym is an off peak rate from say 7-4 pm monday to friday . It seems that the price is too high for some people and this might help.”
by Molineux
Monday, March 04 2013, 6:56PM
“The proposal to freeze leisure charges for the coming year should certainly be adopted as any increase will undoubtably result in a reduction in overall usage. While the council needs to generate a reasonable income, health factors should be a priority as this will reduce the demands on the Health Service in the future.
One area that should be investigated is the membership package for both swimming and health and fitness at the leisure centres. There is a substantial reduction for North Lincs. council employees, but, unlike many authorities there is no reduction in price for the 60+ age group. This is a missed opportunity to both increase membership and encourage older people to keep fit. At present there appears to be very few older people who regularly use the leisure facilities (especially men) and many of the facilities are certainly under used during the day time.”