THE COST of hiring sports pitches is set to rise as Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council bids to make savings by raking in more money.

Council chiefs have outlined plans to save £21,000 by 2016, and these include increasing fees at up to 29 sports pitches.

Football, rugby, and cricket pitches, as well as tennis and netball courts, and athletics and bowls grounds would all be affected.

The proposals are due to go before the borough’s community wellbeing committee on June 20.

If the changes are agreed by the borough’s decision-making Cabinet later this year, the new prices will come into force from April 2014.

According to a report to the committee by the council’s head of community service Tim Boschi, the borough council is spending £627,800 this year maintaining and preparing 29 outdoor sports pitches.

The council will receive £73,600 in booking fees, which covers, on average, 12 per cent of the cost of providing the grounds.

The report has proposed increasing fees so the council can recover an average of 15 per cent of the cost. Further savings are outlined by reducing maintenance costs.

The report states that the proposals “seek to strike a balance” between encouraging more people to get involved in local sport, and improving what is on offer.

“The provision of outdoor sports facilities is a service of the council which is heavily subsidised,” said Mr Boschi. “The factors influencing pricing are complex but the proposals seek to strike a proportionate balance between the desire to encourage participation and the need to improve service efficiency.”