Hammersmith Tories plan to make poorer people pay more to keep fit

At next Monday's council meeting on 5 September, potty-mouthed Tory councillor Greg Smith will be pressing his colleagues to abolish the Lifestyle Plus card which has given cheap entry to leisure centres for local residents on low incomes, including students, ever since Labour introduced it 25 years ago.

Instead, a private company, GLL, will get a contract to operate a new card. The card will initially cost less but the price of each swim or gym visit will sharply increase.

As a result, during any one year, anyone on a low income who swims twice a month or who visits a gym more than once every six weeks will lose out.

It's all in para 2.3 of Cllr Smith's report:
“Under the proposed arrangements, residents currently entitled to a LPS will pay GLL £3 per annum for the card (compared to £20.50 per annum for LPS)… A swim will cost £0.90p more per visit than is currently available to LPS members, but the annual fee is reduced by £17.50. On that basis, residents can swim on 19 occasions before it costs more. A gym visit will cost £1.65 more per visit but with a reduced annual fee residents can access the gym 9 times before it costs more.”

Once again, the Tories are making the poorest in our community pay more for services.