01:17 > Tuesday 9th February 2010
Threefold rise in swim-card prices
21 December 2006
The COMPANY which runs leisure services in the district has been blamed for price increases which have more than doubled the cost of swimming for pensioners.
Following a spate of complaints about the increase, St Albans District Council's Sport and Healthy Living portfolio holder, Cllr Sheila Burton, said prices for pensioners were controlled by Leisure Connection.
She added that under the new leisure contract signed earlier this year between the council and the company, the only concessions the council had insisted upon were for under-18s, students, people on benefit and elite sportsmen and women.
She said: "The prices Leisure Connection charge are now a commercial matter and I am sure that if they find the facilities are not being used they will do something about it."
Cllr Burton's comments followed a claim from a former district councillor that some pensioners had faced a double whammy over the increase in the cost of swimming.
Kathleen Moody said those who swam at the Bricket Wood pool had not only lost their pensioners' discount but had also seen an increase in the basic price.
She explained that the charge for swimming had first been increased to bring sessions in line with the price at Westminster Lodge and then the pensioner's discount had been removed which put the price of a 10-swim card up from £7.50 to £22.40.
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Mrs Moody, who swims regularly with her husband Brian, said: "Like many other pensioners we have been recommended to swim by our doctor because we both have artificial joints. There used to be quite a community of us who had a regular early-morning swim at Bricket Wood and the pool was always busy but since the increases in charges it is almost empty."
Mrs Moody also challenged claims by Cllr Burton that pensioners who signed up to the swimmer's direct debit scheme would find they were paying roughly the same as they were before the changes were introduced if they swam three or more times a week.
She said: "The direct debit scheme has a set-up charge of £35 and a monthly debit of £16 so in fact you need to swim five times a week every week of the year to get back to the original cost and the problem is that this does not allow for holidays and sickness. If you stop your direct debit for a month you have to pay a new set-up fee."
Council leader Cllr Robert Donald said he would welcome a review of the charges for pensioners and urged Leisure Connection to look at the problem.
No-one from Leisure Connection was available for comment at time of going to press.
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