Price increases planned for leisure centres, playschemes and parks across the Lichfield and Burntwood area have been labelled as “diabolical”.

The planned rises by Lichfield District Council, of up to 50 per cent, are set to be rubberstamped at a meeting of the cabinet on Tuesday and would take effect from January 1.

Burntwood Town Council leader Paul Atkins said: “It is diabolical – if that is what they decide to do it is appaling.

“A local authority can’t subsidise but at the end of the day they are getting to a situation where they are pricing ordinary families out of the market by adopting these prices,” added Councillor Atkins, who is also a district councillor.

The Tory-run district council is set to make an extra £65,000 next year if it adopts the recommended price changes.

They will hit all activities at Burntwood Leisure Centre and Friary Grange and King Edward VI in Lichfield including the gym, squash, exercise classes and swimming.

Councillor Atkins said leisure centre prices would soon be close to those of private health centres in the area.

He added that it went against the policy that people need to be healthy.