A SUMMER playscheme which is always over-subscribed is likely to be cut back to save money.

Rossendale Council lopped £5,000 off the three-week project for local schoolchildren as one of the cuts it was forced to make in its annual budget to stay within government spending guidelines.

The scheme runs at eight centres in the Valley and last year had an average of 50 children at each centre every week.

But councillors have voted to cut the numbers to a maximum of 30 per centre per week and levy a £1 registration fee for each child.

The arts and tourism sub-committee recommended the cut in numbers rather than charging £5 a week per child.

In addition they have voted to axe the weekly trip, which cost £8 per child. Instead children are likely to be taken to Fearns School for a day to use the school's community sports and leisure facilities.

Borough leisure officer Arthur Marriott said last year the council struggled to recruit enough qualified workers to run the playschemes.

Cutting the number of children would reduce the qualified staff needed.

Coun Hazel Harding said: "I think the situation is really sad. This is a scheme we ought to be increasing, not decreasing. A lot of centres have been over-subscribed."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.