Increased fees for people using swimming pool and sports pitches, gallery and museum space hire and planning services in Ribble Valley are being considered.

Ribblesdale Pool, the Edisford sports complex, Platform Gallery and Clitheroe Castle Museum are among the leisure and culture facilities being looked at, in preparation for the next financial year.

Proposals could see swimming pool admission for adults rise from the current £5.10 to £5.40. For children, admission would rise from £3.60 to £3.80. Family swimming tickets will go up from the current £14.90 to £15.50. For over-65s, it will rise from £3.60 to £3.80.

Meanwhile at Edisford sports complex, proposals for the 3G pitch include increasing the five-a-side football hourly rate from £44.10 to £45.90.

Hiring a third of the main pitch will go from £44.10 to £45.90. Hiring half the pitch will rise from £69.50 to £72.30, while full pitch hire will go from £115.80 to £120.50.

Proposed community rates are less, at £12.20, £18.10 and £36.20.

Tennis court rates will be £14.60 for an adult, £5.60 for juniors and over-65s. Again, some concessions are available. Tennis coaching will rise from £7.10 to £7.40 an hour. 

Elsewhere, Clitheroe’s Platform Gallery could see changes too.  Full-day room hire will rise to £62.50 while half-day hire will be £31.30, under the plans. For community and charity groups, the rates will be lower at £27.50 or £15.20.

New rates are proposed for exhibitions too. Five days of exhibition space will be £160 while seven days will be £224. Lower rates are proposed for community and charity exhibitions, at £80 or £122.

Some changes are also proposed for Clitheroe Castle Museum admission and space hire. But admission for under-18s will remain free. The museum is separate to the landmark Castle Keep, which is free to walk around but is set for repairs.

Elsewhere Ribble Valley’s development control committee has been told planning and building control fees could be raised.

Councillors have been asked to consider a minimum of four per cent increase to most fees. Different rates apply to small  households and large developers.

At the lower end, building control and planning decision notices could rise from £26 to £27.  At the higher end, pre-planning application advice for major developments could rise from £1,700 to £1,768 for work surrounding two meetings with planning officers. Further charges would apply for extra meetings.

Separately, the Westminster government is looking at increasing fees for planning applications, which are decided nationally.