Teen beauty spot drinkers are ramblers, not rebels
- Dave Burrows
Move to scrap free swimming in Telford
Thursday 19th January 2012, 5:00PM GMT.
Free swimming for the over-60s and those on benefits in Telford will be scrapped under cost-cutting plans being proposed by council bosses.
If approved, the proposals – part of a package to save nearly £50,000 – will come into effect in April.
People classed as being in ‘concessionary’ groups currently do not have to pay for swimming and get up to 40 per cent off the normal price of other activities at Telford & Wrekin Council-run leisure facilities.
But that is likely to change as the authority looks to shave £50,000 from its leisure budget as part of £40 million savings it needs to make across the board.
It will mean pensioners and people on benefits will have to pay £1 to swim, while concessionary members on contracts to use gym facilities will be asked to pay as much as £66 a year extra. It costs £4.10 for adults to swim for one hour under the normal rate.
The concessionary rate to use the council’s Horsehay golf course could also be scrapped and a flat fee introduced.
Free swimming will still be available for under-16s.
The proposals have the backing of the council’s leisure chief, Councillor Arnold England, and will be discussed by the authority’s cabinet on Thursday.
They have been put together by a cross-party committee which examined leisure services across the borough.
Councillor Angela McClements, chairman of the committee, said: “We very much welcomed the opportunity to look at this independently and put forward our ideas as part of the budget process on how we think the council can make savings it so badly needs.
“One of our key considerations was to minimise the financial impact for people on low incomes .
“We looked at what other councils charge and identified that Telford & Wrekin’s leisure concessions were very generous and even with these recommended savings it would still remain excellent value.”
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I’m in recipt of benifits as I had a back & shoulder injury at work.Swimming is the only execrise I can do that is helping in my recovery.My Dr has told me I must swim 5days a week to improve my mobility.Although £1 a day doesn’t sound like a lot to pay, thats £20 a month, and its quite a lot for me considering when I pay out for food, and other household bills im left most of the time with only £10 spare to get things like milk and bread etc out of.Sometimes in winter Im left with nothing as my gas bill increases and I have to find extra cash for this.The whole point of people on benifits being able to swim for free, was to insure they could take regular exersice to improve thier health.Mine will suffer if I can’t afford to go swimming, my range of movement will decrease for sure.I think it’s extreamly unfair to take this away from people who benifit from the free swimming offered.Why don’t they cut some of thier council staf who are overpaid and are a waste of space.I used to be on the tenants commity, and I can asure you they never wanted to disscuse the needs of council tenants or listen to the issuses i rasied about repairs and other concerns of the tenants in my street.They mostly waffled on about thier family and holidays and were more intrested in the tea biscuits and cake at the end of the pointless meetings they held.When I found out how much these meetings that were pointless cost I was disscused and quit!
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@ Barbara, are you just on Job Seekers Allowance or have you also been awarded the Disability Living Allowance.
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First it was libraries, now it’s swimming. How many other features of a civilised society do we have to lose just because a few idiots in red braces fouled up the economy and can get out of paying their fair share of tax?
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Free swimming for the under 16′s, over 60′s and the disabled is one thing but why the hell should someone get free use of a sports and leisure facility just because they are unemployed. I work 45 hours a week and can only afford my municiple gym membership because i’ve cancelled my Sky TV package so why should those that don’t contribute for these facilities through the taxation system get them for free.
There was a popular phrase coined whilst the Labour government were in power which went ” i’m better off on the dole ” which came about as a result of such gifts as free swimming so how about some gifts for those who contribute and stop making life so easy for those who don’t.
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People classed as being in ‘concessionary’ groups ERR they forgot to put Disabled as well
I wounder why? So most of the flexi concessionary wont bother going = saving NIL
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Though I strongly disagree with the way that Telford and Wrekin have gone about their cuts (go into a Leisure facility, talk to the staff, I’m sure there’s a story there), I don’t disagree with this. For some, understandably, the free swim is vital to their health. However for most, it’s something to brag about. So many people simply don’t want a job because without one they get the world on a plate. It penalises the people who do work (and not necessarily for a lot of money). While I understand unemployment is on the rise and many folk are in search of a job, they are often the people who feel guilty about these sorts of opportunities and as a result aren’t the main users. With such a trend of underage pregnancy and having the council pay people’s way through life, it’s about time a certain few learned a life lesson and have to pay for opportunities like anyone else or do without. I’m sorry for those who’s health this will affect, but I’m also glad of this change. I’ve seen the people who get free swimming create havoc for staff and paying customers, or throw demands about and break things or make messes. It’s not on and it’s not fair and perhaps people will feel a greater respect is owed to a facility and its workers if they must pay to use it.
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The reason that enables many of our over 60s to go swimming and to attend Keep Fit and Pilates classes etc. is that they get concessions on the cost. Any GP can tell us of the importance of the over 60s being able to keep themselves fit and agile in a safe and protected environment. These proposed cuts are short sighted to say the least – the long term cost to the NHS of pensioners who are no longer able to keep themselves so fit will be considerable more than the Council are trying to save.
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