FREE fitness sessions which have benefitted thousands of people in Blackburn and Darwen are to be scrapped.

Proposals to introduce a new £1 ‘nominal charge’ for activities under the ‘re:fresh’ scheme from September 1 are set to be confirmed by senior councillors tonight.

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The new fee, which covers all users including pensioners, the disabled and children, is to make up a shortfall in government grants.

The free scheme for off-peak gym, swimming, badminton and other court sessions across the borough’s six centres was introduced in 2008 and is credited with turning round poor health and obesity statistics.

Currently 18,068 borough residents or people who work in the borough use it making 280,857out of the more than one million visits to the recreation hubs in 2015/2016.

Borough leisure boss Damian Talbot said the move was regrettable but forced by a government cut in the public health grant to the borough.

His Tory shadow Jean Rigby said the move was ‘long-overdue’ and many who could pay charges, typically £4 to £5.50 a session, with discounts for pensioners and the young, now used the free sessions.

Liberal Democrat spokeswoman Karimeh Foster warned the new charge could hit the health of low-paid residents running up bigger bills for the council and NHS in the long run.

Brian Todd, chair of the borough’s Older People’s Forum, said: “This is bad in principle as it has done good work, but this is the government’s fault not the council’s.”

Blackburn MP and former borough council leader Kate Hollern said the change was ‘ regrettable but inevitable’.

Previous cuts to the council’s leisure services budget saw controversial proposals which could have led to the closure of Daisyfield Pools and Shadsworth Leisure Centre.

This latest proposal to charge for re-fresh activities aims to save £238,000 a year following a cut in the public health grant from the government which pays for the free service.

Tonight’s borough Executive Board will be told the alternative was axing health improvement services including community weight management, walking and cycling groups, fall prevention, and smoking cessation.

If the proposals are approved, ‘re:fresh’ members will be asked to pay £1 per session over the counter for the same range of activity sessions.

The scheme’s ‘Beez’ membership cards would remain free and council is to consider cut-price family fees and exemptions for the chronically ill and disabled with GP referrals before introduction.

The re:fresh service is available at Blackburn Sports and Leisure Centre, Daisyfield Pools, Darwen Leisure Centre, Witton Park Arena, Shadsworth Leisure Centre and Audley Sports and Community Centre.

The free sessions are staggered between the six hubs for different activities in off-peak hours to ensure availability of the different activities in at least one venue.

A public consultation earlier this year found 63.9 per cent of 209 respondents supported the nominal £1 fee.

The separate free concessions for all leisure centre activities for over-75s and children in council care are both unaffected.

The fee for re:fresh junior swims for one to 16-year-olds will become 50p, and be applied to currently free general holiday sessions.

Sessions for parents and up to two toddlers under the scheme will now cost £2, but under-ones will remain free under a different scheme.

Cllr Talbot said: “This is regrettable but the cut in the government’s public health grant leaves us no choice.

“I accept it may reduce the numbers on low incomes and from deprived areas who use this service which has been nationally recognised, “It has really made a difference to many people but we hope this nominal charge will not deter too many people.

“I don’t think there is another council in the North-West which offers this service for just £1.

“We decided against means testing or limiting it to pensioners, who get a guaranteed income, to make it as easy to use and red-tape free as possible.

“It will remain heavily subsidised and our facilities are fantastic.”

Cllr Foster said: “I think this is a bad move which will put off people on low incomes and from deprived areas who need it most.

“The council should keep re:fresh free and ask people who can afford it for donations.”

Mrs Hollern said: “This is regrettable but inevitable in view of the government grant cut.

“The results of this scheme have been fantastic.

“This is an agonising decision.”

Cllr Rigby said: “This is long overdue.

“I cannot believe we still offer this service for free.

“No other nearby council is this generous.

“Many of the people who use it can well afford the £1 charge or more.

“If people really need it, they should get a referral from their GP.”