YOUNG and old will have to pay more to use facilities at a Dorchester leisure centre if plans go ahead.

Members of Thomas Hardye Leisure Centre management committee are being urged to raise the age of concession from 55 to 60 and to bring in a charge of £1 for little swimmers up to the age of five. At present they go free.

The committee will consider the changes at its meeting next Tuesday.

Members are being asked to agree to the rise in age for the senior concession to allow the new Dorset bus pass for people of 60-plus to be used as proof of eligibility.

In a report to members Tony Hurley, community support team leader at West Dorset District Council, says the changes would generate around £7,000 a year more from users aged 55 to 59 and an extra £400 by bringing in the fee for swimmers under five if the current level of use continues.

The figures emerged as part of a review of concessionary prices available to users at leisure centres across West Dorset.

The report focuses on the main groups eligible for concessions.

Mr Hurley says: "Concessionary prices are normally offered to the above groups excluding corporate membership because they have relatively lower levels of disposable income or are under-represented among leisure centre customers."

The Thomas Hardye centre was the only one among those studied that offers concessions for older people from the age of 55.

The Gryphon at Sherborne and the Bridport centres set the level at 60 while people using St Osmund's Community Sports Centre in Dorchester and the Budmouth centre at Budmouth Technology College in Weymouth must wait until they are 65.

The Thomas Hardye centre is also the only one that gives free swimming for children under five.

All the centres offer corporate membership to major local employers.

Mr Hurley says the approach works well at the Thomas Hardye centre, with organisations such as the hospital making use of the concessions. No amendments are proposed for the category.

The concession rates at Thomas Hardye are 65 per cent of the full rate for general swimming and 70 per cent on adult sessions and the fitness suite.

The rates vary at the other centres reviewed, from half price at Bridport to around 75 per cent at Budmouth.