FREE summer holiday access to swimming pools across East Lothian for children has been scrapped for the first time in nine years.

Enjoyleisure, which has run the “free child swims” for under-18s since 2009, said the popular offer, like many iniatives, did not “remain viable indefinintely”.

The organisation said it was now offering free weekly swimming classes for children all year round but they had to sign up for the lessons to access the pools.

The news comes as the centre management – which is run as an arms-length extension operation of East Lothian Council, known as an ALEO – announced it was increasing the cost per session for Access to Leisure members from £1 to £1.50 from Monday.

The Access to Leisure scheme run by enjoyleisure and East Lothian Council provides people who qualify for membership the chance to use the sports centres it runs in East Lothian during off-peak times for £1 a session.

However, enjoyleisure said that after five years of freezing the session costs it had now agreed, with the council, the price would increase to £1.50 a session.

People who qualify for the scheme include those receiving benefits, registered carers, single parents, students, unemployed people and people who receive a war pension.

The off-peak admission price applies Monday to Friday between 9am and 4.45pm. Discounts available during peak hours and associated with the Get in the Swim membership scheme remain unchanged.

Enjoyleisure manages Aubigny Sports Centre, Haddington; Dunbar Leisure Pool, Loch Centre, Tranent; Meadowmill Sports Centre; Musselburgh Sports Centre and North Berwick Sports Centre. Access to leisure passes also allowed people sessions at Musselburgh Links, The Old Golf Course and Winterfield Golf Course, Dunbar.

The news comes as a double blow for low-income families who would qualify for the Access to Leisure scheme and whose children enjoyed the free swimming sessions.

Councillor Stuart Currie, SNP Group leader on the council, accused the council’s Labour administration of “sneaking decisions in” when it came to the Access to Leisure scheme.

He said: “Once again we see Labour councillors not having the courage to bring these decisions to the full council, instead choosing to sneak them through in the summer recess.

“The impact on many pensioners will be significant. For many years SNP Councillors kept the Access to Leisure cost at 50p to encourage good health and wellbeing and now it has gone up yet again.

“The decision by Labour to scrap free swims for kids is a disgrace.

“The impact on low-income families will be considerable during a time when costs are rising.

“What is becoming clear is Labour will hit those who can least afford it the hardest, just as they report £24 million in reserves.”

Bill Axon, enjoyleisure general manager, said: “We are well aware that the free child swims initiative was popular with local residents and visitors alike, and therefore offered a benefit to the local economy as the scheme encouraged more visits to the county.

“However, as has been witnessed by many other local services previously, not all initiatives remain viable indefinitely.

“ In times where efficiency savings are essential, sometimes hard decisions are required in order to continuously offer reasonably priced access to sport and leisure activities throughout the whole year.

“In the past 12 months, enjoyleisure has directed its efforts and available funds into delivering a revised learn to swim programme which not only promotes the learning, development and enjoyment of the activity but also reinforces the safety benefits from being able to swim. A feature of this new initiative is the provision of free swim sessions 52 weeks of the year for each participant enrolled in the programme to help boost their swimming capabilities.”

Meanwhile, on the Access to Leisure change, and enjoyleisure spokesperson said: “Since its inception in 2013, the Access to Leisure Scheme supported by East Lothian Council has provided eligible East Lothian residents with the opportunity to benefit from preferential and discounted rates to attend sports, fitness and recreational activities within enjoyleisure’s facilities.

“Both East Lothian Council and enjoyleisure are committed to supporting equality and community wellbeing, as well as offering pathways to support individuals and families to access sport and leisure facilities across the county.

“On this basis, despite increases elsewhere, the off-peak preferential for Access to Leisure customers has remained static for the last five years.

“However, following the latest scheme review, East Lothian Council and enjoyleisure have agreed that a price increase should now be applied.”