Christchurch not to take part in “ill-thought-out” free swimming scheme

Following a unanimous decision by members of all parties at its Community Services Committee, Christchurch Council will take the same step as neighbouring authorities, Bournemouth and Poole, and not take part in the government’s ill-thought-out ‘free swimming for over-60s’ scheme.

Despite being offered a government grant to run the scheme, Christchurch Council anticipates a shortfall of more than £14,000 in the first year, rising to more than £37,000 in the third year when government funding would end.

Although Dorset County Council and Dorset Primary Care Trust have offered to fund losses made by Dorset district and borough authorities up to a total of £100,000, there are other factors which the Council took into consideration when reaching its decision.

Cllr Sally Derham Wilkes, chairman of the Community Services Committee, said: “This scheme has been very badly thought out by the government. They decided not to restrict the scheme to council boundaries which means that, now Bournemouth and Poole have decided not to take part, all over-60s from those boroughs could come to Christchurch for free swims if we went ahead.

“That would mean Two Riversmeet Leisure Centre having to cope with a potentially huge influx of non-paying customers to the detriment of people who pay. This might feasibly force paying customers to go elsewhere, so adding to our losses.

“The government’s method of calculating the grant is also flawed as they have simply divided their total pot of money by the number of over-60s in each borough or district, without taking into account revenue or indeed opening hours of swimming facilities.

“We already offer special rates to pensioners who use Two Riversmeet and we are not in a position to make any more losses from a scheme which is inadequately funded by central government, as we have already done with the concessionary fares scheme.

“The government may think it’s a good idea to come up with vote-winning schemes such as this, but they won’t win votes from the Council Tax payers who end up having to pay for them.”