North Lanarkshire Council employees will be able to use leisure facilities at a cheaper discount after the move was approved by councillors.

Staff are eligible for a discount membership for Active NL, the council’s gym and leisure facilities.

The current rate is £28.99 per month where the standard membership is £34.99 per month, but this will now be further reduced to £15 per month, including employees still on a North Lanarkshire Leisure contract.

The discount is intended to increase revenue for the council’s leisure services by boosting the total number of members.

This is in line with offers at other leisure trusts in Scotland where the staff rate varies from £15-£20.

The move has been welcomed by trade unions and will come into effect on January 1.