Price rises for leisure centres

Sportsmen and women will be asked to fork out more cash to use facilities at leisure centres in Dudley for the coming financial year.

Prices have risen in a bid to make centres in Dudley, Halesowen and Stourbridge more profitable.

It was revealed earlier this year that the centres were set to fall £200,000 short of target for the financial year.

Adults must now pay £2.90 to swim at Dudley and Halesowen, a rise of 20p on last year's prices.

To swim at the leisure pool at Crystal Leisure Centre in Stourbridge will now cost £3.50 compared to £3.30 last year.

The cost of hiring five-a-side football pitches at the centres will rise by £2.50.

And those with a love for racket sports will be hardest hit by the changes, with badminton up £1 to £7 and squash rising from £6.80 to £7.50.

But gym users will be unaffected by the changes, with costs freezing at £27 per month for contracted members or £35 for uncommitted users.

Dudley Council cabinet member for culture and leisure, Councillor Charles Fraser Macnamara, said: "It is the usual practice to review fees and charges on an annual basis.

"The core fees and charges for leisure centres have been adjusted following comparisons with facility fees in other authorities. The overall percentage increase is three per cent."

The price changes came into force at the start of the month.

Dudley Council has already announced plans to pump more than £1 million into improving gym facilities at the three centres.