Free swimming scheme proves a big success around the region

Statistics obtained by the Yorkshire Post show that thousands more people have been swimming every month since the scheme was introduced last April.

The figures also show that the initiative has been far cheaper to implement than some councils, which declined to take up the Government funding, anticipated.

Two of the region's largest authorities – Sheffield and Hull – refused to sign up to the scheme, claiming it would be too costly.

However, the statistics reveal that most of Yorkshire's councils have managed to fund the free swimming entirely from the Government grant – with no cost to themselves.

Leader of the Labour group on Sheffield Council, Coun Jan Wilson, said: "The Government offered Sheffield around 850,000 to help provide free swimming for over-60s and under-16s, but Lib Dem Sheffield remains one of only 67 places in England not to take up the scheme.

"This includes major cities such as Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, alongside Sheffield's neighbours Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Chesterfield, who have all successfully offered free swimming since April 2009. If they could do it why couldn't we?"

Funding totalling 140m was provided by the Government to improve facilities and also meet the cost of providing free access to pools.

Nationwide, more than 300 councils took up the funding. In Yorkshire, pensioners and children can now swim for free in Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Doncaster, Kirklees, Leeds, North Lincolnshire, Rotherham, Wakefield and York.

Pensioners only are eligible in Craven, North East Lincolnshire, Richmondshire, Ryedale and Selby.

Sheffield, Hull, East Riding, Harrogate, Scarborough and Hambleton councils, however, declined the grants.

Every one of those councils that took up the funding has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people swimming, the figures reveal.

And of those councils that did accept the funding, Doncaster, Rotherham, Ryedale, Wakefield and York haven't incurred any additional costs to themselves.

Leeds Council said the free swimming cost around 30,000 a year to implement, in addition to the Government grant, while North Lincolnshire Council said it would be spending 29,000 a year and Richmondshire District Council said it had set aside 19,602.

Of all the authorities in the region, Barnsley Council has spent the most – 199,897 this financial year, in addition to a grant of 203,057.

However, Barnsley also saw one of the most dramatic increases in the number of people swimming. Prior to the scheme being introduced, an average of 16,350 under-16s swam each month at the authority's leisure centres, which has since risen to 22,706. For over- 60s, the figure was 1,368, which has since risen to 3,071.

In Bradford, where just 50,000 has been spent on the scheme this financial year, the number of under-16s swimming each month has rocketed by more than 10,000 – from 19,007 to 29,189. Meanwhile, the number of pensioners swimming has almost trebled, from 2,348 to 7,054.

In Leeds, the average number of swims has soared from 21,082 to 27,727 for under-16s and from 8,165 to 10,746 for over-60s.

The success of the scheme has sparked anger among rival politicians at the councils which failed to implement the scheme.

Steve Brady, leader of the Labour group on Hull City Council, said: "This was a great opportunity, particularly with the obesity problem in Hull, to get people exercising.

"It's disgraceful that the Lib Dems turned it down as the money was there to take."