Big rises in swimming pool charges have been approved by City of York councillors.

Councillors gave the go-ahead to increases of up to 45 per cent, but said they wanted officers to monitor closely the effects of the hike.

From April, prices will now be £2.40 for York Card holders, up from £1.92, and £2.85 for people from outside York, up from £2.05.

Concessionary prices will go up from £1.05 to £1.60 for cardholders and from £1.40 to £2.05 for non-York residents.

Councillors approved the rise after hearing that the fee paid to Total Leisure Management (TLM) had been cut by £120,000 by the Leisure Services committee to meet its budget savings target.

Richard White, assistant director for commercial services, said: "Commercial services sommittee now has to set a pricing policy for 2000/1 that preserves the trading performance of TLM despite a reduction of £120,000 in its gross income."

He told councillors that the new prices would be fixed at a rate which compared with those for other pools in Tadcaster, Wetherby, Harrogate and Selby.

And he said that both the York Card and loyalty card reductions would be maintained. Loyalty cards are tickets where a swimmer gets ten swims for the price of eight.

Coun Richard Watson, Lib-Dem spokesman, said: "I think it is fair to say that this committee's remit is to maximise income and I think we have to be guided by our officers who have put a lot of work into this."

Coun Gerald Dean (Conservative) asked if putting the prices up would affect the future of the Barbican and Yearsley pools.

Committee chairman Coun Alan Jones said: "There is no relationship between the two things. The possible closures are part of a best value review which is still taking place."

Coun Madeleine Kirk asked: "What makes us so confident that it won't affect use of the pools? We need to keep a very close eye on the number of swims to ensure the objective of this paper can be reached."

Coun Derek Smallwood said he thought there would be an initial period where use went down but that it would probably climb back up again.

And Coun Kirk said: "Many people did say 'If you can't afford to keep the pools open we wouldn't mind paying more for a swim'.

"We shall have to wait and see."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.