Bradford Council has carried out its annual review of fees and charges covering sports and leisure facilities in the district.

A meeting of the council's Executive Committee has been advised of some changes to prices, which are necessary to meet the increased costs of operating the wide range of facilities in the district.

Members approved an increase in the cost of people using sports centres, swimming pools, parks, public halls and libraries, which took effect on Tuesday .

The new charges represent an average rise of five per cent on current prices.

Members also heard that the council was carrying out a major inspection programme covering thousands of cemetery memorials following several national cases of child injuries and deaths caused by unsafe headstones which either were toppled or fell.

Following the most recent case, a fatality in Harrogate, the Health and Safety Executive has raised with all local authorities the need to inspect and repair unsafe memorials. Local cemeteries and crematoria charges would need to increase by 14 per cent to meet the costs of inspections and subsequent safety works.

Cllr Anne Hawkesworth (pictured), Executive Member for the Environment, said: "The new fees and charges for sports and leisure activities in the district continue to provide very good value for money, and compare favourably with other West Yorkshire councils and other providers.

"In some areas, such as sports centre admissions, this is the first increase for two years. The income raised will go towards maintaining and improving local facilities.

"The cemetery and crematoria charges are having to be reviewed to meet the cost of the safety inspections and subsequent works.

"Even with the increased charges, cremation fees are still likely to remain as the lowest in West Yorkshire and amongst the lowest nationally."

The increases include:

l Sports centre admission for adults and young people by five pence.

l Group and club hire of sports hall by five per cent and swimming pools by four per cent.

l Fitness suite charges by five per cent.

l Admission to swimming pools by four per cent for juniors and six per cent for adults.

l Swim slide by five per cent.

l Passports to Leisure swim by five pence for all users.

l Hire charges for the Alhambra Theatre, St George's Hall and other public halls by five per cent.

Video rentals will be standardised at £1.50 for all loans.

Under the review, the annual joining fee for Passport to Leisure would rise by 20p to £2.20 for adults and 10p to £1.10 for juniors. These charges have not increased for a number of years.

The Passport for Leisure scheme offers discounts of up to 50 per cent on sports and leisure facilities for people on low income and in receipt of state benefits.