A crisis meeting of Enniskillen Lakelanders swimming club on Monday called for “swimming to be treated equally with other sports and to have ‘fair’ fees levied on it.” Ahead of next Tuesday’s Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) meeting, where Councillors are set to vote on a recommendation that lane hire be set at £8.40 per lane, per hour in the Lakeland Forum and £10 per lane, per hour in Omagh Leisure Centre, Enniskillen Lakelander’ have urged members to write to all local councillors.

A template letter, which parents of all Lakelanders members will send to Councillors this week, points out that the club currently pays £4.20 per lane, per hour. It says that doubling their fees to £8.40 is an extra £1,000 per month that the club will have to pay the Forum. “Inevitably members will have to pay for that through their membership, which will increase to more than £400 per child,” the letter states. “As a result, many members have indicated that they could not afford this … and the financial burden of £500 per child would be placed on remaining members.” The club is calling for Councillors to vote in favour of £5 per lane, per hour based on pre and bulk booking. This would be a 20 per cent increase for the Lakelanders, rather than a 100 per cent increase.

The letter states that prices for activities such as badminton, bowls, table tennis, trampoline and junior soccer and basketball have not increased at all since 2009. Hire of the 3G soccer pitch and an individual swim have increased by around 14 per cent, while hire of the Forum’s main hall, whole pool hire, cricket and teen fit have increased by around 25 per cent.

At a recent Policy and Resources Committee meeting, Director of Community, Health and Leisure Robert Gibson said that FODC “is currently supporting Omagh Leisure Centre through a subvention of £921,039 and the Lakeland Forum through a subvention of £909,200.” He added: “Any reduction in the previous charge will increase the subvention having to be made by the Council.” The Lakelanders argue that, if they pay £5 per lane, per hour for their 55 lane hours per week, the Forum will receive £10,000 per annum. If they are charged £8.40 per lane, per hour, they would have to cut pool hours to 30, which would bring in £10,000 per annum to the Forum.

The letter states that a list of prices charged by other Councils that was shown to Councillors at the last P&R meeting was “incorrect as it showed what the general public are charged, and not what the local swim club are charged.” The letter adds: “Fermanagh fees should not be compared to other facilities east of the Bann due to the socio-economic east west divide. Fermanagh wages are on average the lowest in Northern Ireland.” Gala events hosted by the Lakelanders boost the local economy, according to the letter, which states: “I am sure the 150 parents and volunteers who travelled to the final of the South West Minor League at the Lakeland Forum on Sunday didn’t leave without putting their hand in their pocket to buy something.” Monday’s crisis meeting heard that the Lakelanders are “sad and disappointed that Fermanagh Councillors are not reacting to a simple message: We as parents and constituents in Fermanagh refuse to allow swimming in Fermanagh to be treated differently to other sports in the county by allowing the Council to double [our] fees while [other sports fees’] have increased by up to 20 per cent since 2009.” FODC Chief Executive Brendan Hegarty told the last P&R meeting that the Council must set equal rates for all clubs using the pool, while Sinn Fein Councillor Thomas O’Reilly said that setting rates for individual clubs would “set a dangerous precedent.”