New members signing up for the Isle of Wight Council’s gym services will soon have to pay more than existing users as a result of a price hike.
Fees at 1Leisure Centres are going up an average of 10%, in line with inflation, as energy prices rise.
The decision has also been taken as footfall has not reached pre-pandemic levels, the Council has said.
An annual Gold One Card membership, allowing full access to all services at Medina, The Heights and Westridge centres, will cost an adult £440 a year, up from £399.50, or £44 a month if paying by direct debit.
If you are an existing 1Leisure member, prices will not increase. It comes after the authority recently introduced a ‘price for life’ scheme.
It means when prices go up on 1st April to the new tariff, current members will stay at their existing rate.
The new monthly rates for new users will be:
- Gold: £44 (adults) / £28.60 (16 to 25-year-olds) / £18.70 (juniors)
- Silver: £29.20 (adults) / £18.70 (16 to 25-year-olds) / £11.50 (juniors)
The scheme ran as a promotion in the last month to attract new members, which the council said saw an increase in sign-ups ‘beyond the number typically expected over the same period’. At the end of December, 1Leisure membership levels had not recovered since before the COVID-19 pandemic although they have been steadily increasing.
Compared to December 2019, membership levels were only at 75% of what they had been but were above target. The council has said the price increase has been fully evaluated but One Cards continue to be competitively priced and represents ‘excellent’ value for money when compared to casual prices.
As an adult, to use the facilities on a one-off occasion, from 1st April, prices will rise to:
- £9.25 gym
- £7.25 fitness classes
- £5.80 swimming
- £7.15 health suite
A basic membership to the national chain, The Gym Group, in Newport, starts at £21.99 a month.
The price increases were not part of the budget papers recently approved by full council — which saw a near 5% council tax hike — but were signed off under officer delegated powers.
A review of the leisure centres is still ongoing, despite hopes it would be finished by the end of last year and influence budget discussions.
I think it’s terrible.
All those breeding the next generation on benefits, get FREE entry to the gym as do their partner, IF they declare them (rarely as more for being classed as a ‘single muver’
So they have an easy day of sauna’s workout, whilst we work to pay for such freeloaders.
Make them pay fully.
Normally new joiners are given offers to get them into the fold. This seems the other way around.
And exactly why should the majority of us, ie the CT payers, have to prop up this obviously failing ‘business’. Oh yes, it’s council run. Want a run, get outside. Want a swim, the sea. Want a bike ride, plenty of tracks and, if you must, the roads.
Wait, is it subsidised? Because if yes then….
Heh, not often I find myself agreeing with Island Echo comments but with this I agree 100% – in the south of UK, with our weather, and on IOW especially, “the gym of life” should be the norm given how small, tourist-oriented and full of AONBs our island is.
https://youtu.be/KPUlgSRn6e0
Gyms are OK as private businesses if people decide to go there but subsidising them up with council money is not very productive.
Actually looks like the tax payers are subsidising the roads too, it’s a massive deficit on the council budget. We should stop funding that too, let the people who drive cars and the business that drive trucks start paying for the pot holes, not us. This isn’t communist Russia!
I was with you until the ‘if you must’ comment. Well, given that the ‘tracks’ don’t cover the whole Island, I ‘must’ use the roads, … sorry about that, but thanks for your permission : )
Its just too expensive.
People with families cant spend that amount of money every month, pensioners also.
If you swim just a couple of days a week and pay the daily fee you have parking to pay for also which is another £3.80.
Swimming should be free or a minimal fee.
Its the best exercise for all ages and abilities and would save the NHS money, people would be fitter and more mobile.
Its ridicules, it will shut down as people are priced out!
Have you seen how much Netherlands is saving on healthcare thanks to a lot of people cycling? 3% (sic!) of their GDP: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504332/
That’s more savings %-wise than entire UK spends on military (2.3%).
(Not to mention other benefits to pollution, noise levels, congestion etc.)
And have you seen reactions in UK to any cycling expansion? Hint: government recently cut cycling infrastructure budget by 75% 😉
So yeah, I don’t think anyone in this country is seriously interested in saving money for the NHS through physical activity of any kind.
Swimming saves far less GDP% than cycling (just cause far less people do it) so it’s even less interesting to our mighty overlords 😉
Susan, are you a Nazi? I ask because you want to take away people cars. But cars = freedom as the TV adverts keep telling us. Taking away freedom and using trains is something the Nazis did. So, do you like cars or Nazis? It’s that simple.
Agreed, The Netherlands has got it right.. if it works just do it!
Cycling, swimming and walking are great to save the NHS money. But you can’t out-cycle, out-swim or out-walk a bad diet. And that is what drives the cost of the NHS.
Please do us all a favour Susan and cycle back to the Netherlands and take your stupid ideas with you, bloody hippys
Booon and Islandr:
I don’t mind if you choose to drive a car. That’s fine. I’d however like to have a choice of safe alternatives. That’s all freedom is about. Choices.
For example, if there’s no pavement to walk safely: that’s less freedom and choice for everyone. If all infrastructure is focused on cars how much choice there is? Just car. Not much freedom of choice.
Also, Dutch drivers consistently rank as happier with their commute than UK drivers – more people outside of car mean less congestion for you inside a car too, and saving 3% GDP means lower taxes!
A lot of people can not cycle, use a gym, jog, walk for miles, exercise at all…BUT they can in water.
You are supported and joints are much more protected by being in water.
They are excluding so many people who would so benefit from this, is a social thing to including Mental Health benefits for everyone.
The NHS would benefit.
I have to say its the same old story, if you are on benefits you get subsidised at the pool
Also these people get access to free school meals, food bank, baby bank, dog bank, free this and free that: you work full time and just about manage or live on your pension and you cannot afford to do this.
It will shut down.
Shame the council provide a mesealy swimming service here, like others have mentioned nearly £6 to swim, £6 to park your already £12 in and then you find the actual changing rooms have broken lockers, broken cubical doors.
Timetable itself doesnt allow much public swimming. Not so much Heights but Medina isn’t even heated I don’t think these days. Poor service.
Swimming could be so good here, but again a sidelined service like usual. Would be good if someone opened Westridge again as a community pool?
To be honest the prices being charged are fair prices for the facilities on offer.
You won’t find cheaper.
Pity our wages don’t match inflation. We get a couple of extra pounds and it’s already gone . Energy bills , petrol , phone , rail increases , council tax , shopping. Only the have gots or benefit scroungers will be able to afford luxuries like the gym. The rest of us are trying to keep our heads above water
If you swim at the heights & are not a member ask at the counter for a parking permit, this allows you 90 minutes free parking whilst you swim or use the other facilities.