THE prospect of the over-60s and under-16s in Basingstoke and Deane receiving free swimming sessions remains a possibility - despite strong concerns over the expense.

Borough council chiefs have told the Government they are interested in applying for a slice of the £140million funding set aside for councils to encourage swimming by offering the free sessions at local authority pools.

But Councillor Keith Chapman, Cabinet member for sport and leisure, made clear the borough remains unhappy with the scheme and only expressed its interest by the Government's September 15 deadline to gain time to consider the idea further.

He said: "We fully support the idea of encouraging more people to go swimming but we are not sure that this is the best way to go about it."

Cllr Chapman said the Government grant would amount to £41,000 a year but the council would face a shortfall of £116,000 a year just to bring in free swimming for the over-60s from next April.

The Government has made no details available of the grants for under-16s, but the council expects it would have to find more than £300,000.

He added: "We are in the middle of setting our budget for next year and deciding our priorities for services and residents have never expressed free swimming as a priority for them, especially as the funding needed would mean other services would suffer.

"Price does not seem to be a barrier to swimming for our older residents and, if it was, surely a more targeted approach, for example offering free swimming lessons for the over-60s who can't swim, would be a better approach."

Cllr Chapman, who said the council spent £16m improving swimming facilities over the past decade, was also worried what would happen after the Government grants ran out.

Labour councillor Andrew McCormick, who trumpeted the free swimming proposal as part of efforts to maximise sporting involvement from the 2012 London Olympics, said: "I'd like to see a bit more enthusiasm from the council. It sounds like they're just going through the motions.

"We need to be part of this 2012 initiative and not be seen to be standing on the sidelines."