A two-tier membership scheme is set to be introduced for leisure centres across North Yorkshire.
The proposed new system would see users of North Yorkshire Council-run swimming pools and gyms in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon paying higher membership fees than residents elsewhere in the county.
The authority says the review of more than 70 legacy membership types for its leisure sites will lead to fairer access to its facilities.
The different types of membership are a legacy from the former borough and district councils, which ran the county’s leisure services before local government reorganisation in 2023.
The council launched the Active North Yorkshire brand in September 2024 to bring all leisure sites under one umbrella.
Proposals seeking to introduce a more consistent membership structure will be presented to members of the council’s executive on Tuesday next week (February 3rd).
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for leisure, Councillor Simon Myers, said:
“Our priority is to encourage and support as many people as possible across North Yorkshire to live healthier and more active lifestyles.
“All residents should have fair and equal access to leisure facilities in their area, wherever they live across the county, so that they have the opportunity to improve their physical and mental health and well-being.
“A lot of work has been ongoing with our customers to learn what they want from their leisure and well-being hubs, and the message coming through loud and clear is that people want the option of having flexible memberships without being tied down to a contract.
“We have taken that on board as we look to introduce a more streamlined and consistent structure across all our sites. These proposals will be carefully considered when members of the executive meet next week.”
As part of the proposals, fixed-term contracts would be scrapped, with pay-as-you-go options available.
All customers wanting to take up a membership would be able to pay by monthly, no‑contract direct debit or by an annual cash payment.
Users would have the option to sign up for swim-only memberships, while a range of premium memberships offering a range of enhanced health and well-being benefits would also be available.
The premium memberships would include multi-site access to all Active North Yorkshire hubs, virtual health care and on-demand classes.
Senior concessions would be brought in line with state pension age, while customers younger than state pension age would still be able to access other concession categories based on eligibility.
A dedicated well-being membership would be available for individuals referred through specialist programmes who require tailored support.
Customers could also access virtual activities, including on-demand digital fitness advice and 24/7 online healthcare, without travelling to an Active North Yorkshire site.
Council chiefs admit the proposed new structure could result in some customers seeing their membership costs increasing, particularly if their membership price has not been reviewed for several years, or if they have taken advantage of previous offers.
Two tiers would be introduced to simplify the membership types.
Tier one includes existing members in Bedale, Pateley Bridge, Northallerton, Richmond, Selby, Skipton, Starbeck, Stokesley, Tadcaster, and Thirsk and Sowerby.
Tier two will apply to existing members at Harrogate, Knaresborough, and Ripon leisure and well-being hubs, where pricing levels are currently higher and where officials say there has been significant investment.
In tier one, a premium membership costs £456 for the year, while in tier two it would be £552.
A swim-only membership would be £360 in tier one and £420 in tier two.
In November last year, the authority approved a multi-million-pound investment that will see a total of £36m invested in four sites – Selby, Skipton, Pickering and Whitby.
An additional £3m is to be invested in upgraded gym and fitness equipment across a further 12 leisure sites.
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