LEISURE bosses are refusing to sign up to a subsidised card for people on benefits after claiming it could affect their centre's reputation.

Ribble Valley Council has been negotiating with Roefield Leisure Centre for six months in an effort to introduce its leisure card.

The card, which comes into effect this week at the council's Ribblesdale Swimming Pool, Clitheroe, and Longridge Sports Centre, which it jointly runs, entitles disadvantaged residents to a free taster session followed by subsidised use.

Those expected to be issued with the swipe card include bored youngsters, single mothers, obese schoolchildren and pensioners.

But, despite the council giving the Edisford Road sports centre around £17,000 a year in subsidies, Roefield is still reluctant to sign up to the scheme.

Ron Pickup, chairman of Ribble Valley Sports and Recreation Ltd, the charitable trust that owns and runs Roefield, said the leisure card would change the make-up of the user base.

He added: "The type of people who would use this card - the socially excluded - could have a detrimental effect on the reputation of the leisure centre.

"We also have concerns that significant changes in customer profiles could affect our existing customers, many of whom are elderly.

" And the knock-on effect is that we could lose income if our paying customers were displaced. We want guarantees from the council that we would not lose income."

John Heap, director of community services at the council, said the stumbling block was disappointing.

He added: "It's six months since we put this scheme to Roefield and it was always part of the plan that it would play a key role.

"Their concerns centre on the fact it might cost them money, which it wouldn't.

"We are still in negotiations with Roefield, and we are thankful that at least this problem hasn't stopped the card being introduced at our other leisure facilities."

The service level agreement between the council and Roefield was discussed at last night's meeting of the council's community committee.

In the first 12 months of the scheme, council leisure bosses hope to issue around 10,000 cards to residents. The scheme replaces the authority's previous scheme, the Passport to Leisure.

The new leisure card is distributed to GPs, health centres, schools and colleges who in turn hand them out to people who will benefit from subsidised leisure.