ipswich: A move to offer free tickets for serving members of the armed forces and their families to borough leisure facilities is set to be debated next week.

But opposition hopes that a scheme could be in place by the beginning of August have been dismissed as “unrealistic” by the Labour administration which took power at Grafton House last month.

Conservative opposition leader John Carnall is set to propose the move at next week’s council meeting, which takes place two days after Armed Forces Day.

It would give serving members of the armed forces and their families free admission to leisure facilities across the town, including Crown Pools and the Regent Theatre.

He said: “It should not be difficult to give members of the armed services and their families an Icard – the council gives them to staff.

“It may be a bit more difficult with the Regent and Corn Exchange, but it is worth considering.”

He said the motion had been tabled to coincide with Armed Forces Day on Saturday and he was hoping it would be considered favourably at Monday evening’s meeting of the full council.

Council leader David Ellesmere said they were sympathetic to the proposal, but there were serious practical concerns and worries over the cost.

He said: “We would need to look quite hard at how this could be implemented – and quite honestly I don’t see it would be possible by August 1. I am tempted to think that if it is so important to the opposition now, why didn’t they come up with the proposal when they were running the council – they were in power for six-and-a-half years.”

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