 Pensioners Swimming With the fiasco of the free bus pass scheme still ringing in their ears this was probably the right deciison for now. Many numbers of government schemes have been underfunded by the treasury resulting in the shortfall being made up by council tax payers.
Councillors realised that if they signed up to the scheme there would be a massive influx of people from outside the area using the TwoRiversMeet Leisure centre. This is likely to push paying customers to go elsewhere resulting in a loss of cash to the centre and ultimately the authority. Although a government backed scheme the council estimates a shortfall of £14,000 in the first year increasing to £37,000 by the third year when government funding ceases.
The council was offered further assistance to offset losses by Dorset County and Dorset Primary Care Trust to a total of £100,000 but took other factors into account. The government scheme did not restrict boundaries which meant that people could go to any authority area and swim for free although they are not resident or local taxpayers to that authority.
Cllr Sally Derham Wilkes, chairman of the committee said " If Christchurch had signed up, all those Boroughs over 60's would have come to TwoRiversMeet, overwhelming the leisure centre to the detriment of paying people therefore adding to our losses."
She added, " The council already had two schemes for pensioners offering special rates and therefore we not in a postion to make any more losses from a scheme that is inadequately funded by government, as is the case of the concessionary bus pass scheme. Central government think they have come up with a vote winner but thay won't gain votes from local taxpayers who end up funding the swimming."
In response to criticisms the Dept of Culture, Media and Sport said it believes the government grant would meet the large majority of councils costs. The increased use of swimming pools makes for healthier communities and councils could make extra cash by offering other services and retail at leisure centres.
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