THE campaign for free swimming in Weymouth and Portland is dead in the water.

Campaigner Norah Riley-Smith is ‘dreadfully disappointed’ after the resort’s council ruled out a U-turn.

Councillors had indicated that they would reconsider their decision to reject a Government proposal to introduce free swimming for the over-60s and under-16s.

However, the authority will stand by its initial decision after the Government refused to alleviate a number of concerns councillors had about the scheme.

Age Concern trustee and volunteer Mrs Riley-Smith, who took her and the Dorset Echo’s campaign all the way to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, said: “I’m dreadfully disappointed and I just don’t know what to do next. It seems the council is just not going to change.”

She added that it was a ‘missed opportunity’ to give more people in Weymouth and Portland the chance to experience the health benefits of regular swimming.

Mrs Riley-Smith said: “Many of the groups of people I went around talking to desperately wanted to keep swimming but can’t afford to on a basic pension.”

The council’s management committee agreed to reconsider its decision to reject proposals for free swimming for pensioners last month.

But members would only rethink the decision if they received assurances from the Government that some sort of scheme could be put in place to safeguard the future of the privately-owned Osprey Leisure Centre on Portland.

Committee chairman Mike Goodman said: “We did get in contact with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport about our concerns, particularly future funding and whether or not any grant could be made to the Osprey Leisure Centre.

“The answer came back that there was no change to that and indeed if we wanted to join the scheme not only would we have to offer free swimming to over-60s but we would also have to offer it to under-16s and put in additional funding for that.”

Councillor Goodman said the committee had always maintained it would only consider joining the scheme if fears over the future of the Portland pool and other concerns were addressed.

He said: “The condition for review was a change in conditions, so we haven’t reconsidered our decision. The bottom line is the deadline has been and passed and we are not in the scheme.”

He added that the council had listened to the Free Swimming Campaign run by Age Concern and the Echo but stressed the authority was facing a series of ‘difficult decisions’ in the current economic climate.

Coun Goodman said: “I have no doubt that everybody would like free swimming, but it isn’t for free – somebody has to pay.”

South Dorset MP Jim Knight said: “I think it’s extremely shortsighted of the council. It’s a really important legacy that we can achieve by offering young people and pensioners free swimming.

“I talked to the Government about whether or not they could extend it to other swimming pools not directly managed by the council.

“A precedent has been set across the county and it’s not just something they can agree.

“It still remains the case that they were offering money for free swimming at the Knightsdale Road swimming pool and I simply cannot understand why the council didn’t want to accept that money.”