FREE Swimming - NOT, whats your view?

[billbobaggin]

Hi, my local council is going to introduce free swimming for under 16s and over 60s. However in order to 'qualify' children and older people have to join and recieve a membership card. All a bit gate keeperish but whats really irritating me is that if the pool is half full with non-payers the pool will refuse entry to anymore non-payers. Whats your view on this policy?

[craft1948]

don't think they can refuse. My understanding is that this is being gradually implemented by councils but is in fact a government directive...

[billbobaggin]

this is what i was told would happen today. It will take a bit of policing.

[theonlyone]

just had my council tax bill today ...also the
wastewater bill ,and the water bill ..
the money for free bus travel and swimming
is from the local council ...nice one Mr Brown ..
bankrupt the people who have to pay the most ..
as we get naff all ...so if i go for a swim i have to
pay top dollar !!

[craft1948]

well only one - I am still celebrating my huge pension rise , have also received my increased council tax bill, and obviously was overjoyed at reaching 60 so I could have.....free swimming?

[naughtyboy]

Who wants to swim in a pool full of kids and and over sixties anyway? Maybe thats why the french call it a piscine!

[theonlyone]

Craft ..think the whole thing is out of order
as where i live is rural , so someone with out
a car can't use it , as the bus service is not
good in the week ..and doesn't run on Sunday !!!
So it will only the townies and abled bodied who
will use it . What will the next idea by the Loony
Labour Party ???

[kempie]

Not a government directive - it is a scheme that local authorities can opt into.

Conditions imposed upon those local authorites accepted to the Free Swimming Programme include regular data returns on the number of free swims. The government supports the use of free membership cards as a means to administer the scheme.

The scheme is also not intended to introduce significant restrictions on fee-paying public swimming. Those swimmers ineligible to participate in the scheme should not be expected to see a reduction in allocated pool space as was available to them prior to the introduction of the Free Swimming Programme.

http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/sport/580 9.aspx