Free swimming in Castle Point has been scrapped after government funding for the scheme was withdrawn last month.
At a meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday evening councillors voted through a proposal to end the ‘free swimming’ initiative that had previously allowed under-16s and over-60s to swim at local pools for free.
Cllr Peter Burch said: “It has been unfortunately forced on us to withdraw the free swimming programme for both the under 16s and over 60 but I am pleased to announce we have been able to continue it for another month until the end of August to enable the children in the school holiday to have the use of the facilities at no cost to themselves.”
Government funding amounting to £55,000 for the next eight months will be withdrawn on the 31 July so the council have agreed to fund an extra month of free swimming while children are on their summer holiday.
At the meeting Cllr Jeffrey Stanley sent a stark warning to local residents that this was only the beginning of cuts at the council.
“We’ve known for sometime that public finances are going to be squeezed,” Cllr Stanley told the chamber.
“Both the previous government and existing government have said all along that the country cannot afford to continue spending as much as it has been.
“I have to say that this is not the arrival of the hurricane - that is going to wait until the chancellor makes his comprehensive spending review announcement on the 20th October. This is not the end of it, this is the start of it.”