Southwark residents will be able to use the swimming pool and gym at a ‘refreshed’ Seven Islands Leisure Centre for free if a Labour administration is re-elected in May.

“Helping people in Southwark to lead healthy and active lives is one of Labour’s top priorities and our pledge to deliver free swimming and gym use to all Southwark residents will make it easier for people in the borough to get fit and healthy,” said Cllr Peter John, leader of Southwark Labour.

“This ground-breaking pledge will make a real difference to Southwark residents.

“I recognise that we will be implementing this proposal against a tough economic backdrop, but I believe that it must be an absolute priority of the council to help people in Southwark lead healthy lives.”

Labour says it will review how leisure is funded in Southwark, looking across the board at the structure of the council’s fees and charges, including how users from outside the borough are charged for council leisure centres.

Southwark’s leisure centres are managed and operated by Fusion whose contract is due to come to an end in 2016.

In neighbouring Lambeth the Labour Party made a similar pledge to offer free swimming at the 2010 borough elections but later backtracked on the promise, blaming central Government funding cuts.

Southwark Lib Dems recently unveiled a manifesto commitment to rebuild the Southwark Park Lido if they win back control of the borough in May.