Proposals for a new membership scheme designed to give residents fairer access to North Yorkshire’s leisure and wellbeing hubs are to be presented to councillors for their views.
Active North Yorkshire was launched last year following the transfer of leisure services in the former Selby, Harrogate and Richmondshire areas into ourselves.
The service aims to help improve the opportunities for people to become and stay active as part of a countywide drive for healthier communities, with an increased emphasis placed on improving residents’ physical and mental wellbeing.
More than 70 legacy membership types are available across the leisure sites owned by us, which currently support 19,500 health and fitness members and 6,550 learn to swim pupils
The new proposals seek to introduce a consistent, unified membership structure that ensures a fair opportunity for all residents to access leisure facilities in their area, as well as encourage more people to live healthier and more active lifestyles.
More than 4,600 customers took part in a recent survey about leisure provision. The option of having flexible, non-contract memberships offering unlimited access emerged as among the top priorities.
Assistant director for culture and leisure, Jo Ireland, said: “We want everyone in North Yorkshire to have the best opportunities possible to stay active to promote physical and mental health and wellbeing.
“Introducing a streamlined structure across all our sites is challenging across such a large and diverse area, but we aim to give all residents fairer access to leisure facilities in their area, and a greater freedom to benefit from more flexible membership options.
“This supports feedback received by customers who indicated a strong preference of having the option to make use of the facilities close to them, but without being tied down to long-term contracts.
“There is the possibility that some customers could see their membership costs increase, particularly if their membership price has not been reviewed for several years, or they have taken advantage of previous offers. The pricing principles also aim to reflect the quality and range of the leisure facilities available.
“This would be offset by a fairer, more consistent, countywide service which would give more residents access to a basic package at a lower cost, with the option of upgrading to a premium package for additional benefits.”
Fixed-term contracts would be scrapped as part of the proposed scheme, with an entry-level membership designed to provide customers with greater flexibility at an affordable price.
Customers would have the option to access virtual activities without travelling to an Active North Yorkshire site, which would give more choice to people living in rural parts of the county.
Premium memberships offering a range of enhanced health and wellbeing benefits including multi-site access to all Active North Yorkshire hubs, virtual health care and on demand classes would also be available as part of the proposals.
Senior concessions would be brought in line with state pension age to create a fairer and more consistent approach across the county. Customers younger than state pension age would still be able to access other concession categories based on eligibility.
There are also plans to introduce a dedicated wellbeing membership to support individuals referred through specialist programmes who require tailored support.
This month (November), the council reinforced its commitment to transforming health and wellbeing provision by approving a multi-million-pound investment that will see a total of £36 million invested in four key sites, as part of a new leisure investment strategy.
The plans would see the funding focused on improving Active North Yorkshire sites in Selby and Skipton as well as Pickering and Whitby. The Pickering and Whitby locations are currently operated by Everyone Active, and due to become part of Active North Yorkshire in 2027.
The investment will see improved gym facilities, additional studio space and an overhaul of swimming pools along with better changing rooms. There will also be more accessible pool access, including Changing Places facilities for people with additional needs, and new reception areas and public spaces across the four sites.
An additional £3 million is to be invested in a phased programme to upgrade gym and fitness equipment across a further 12 leisure sites overseen by the council.
If approved, the new proposed membership scheme and pricing structure would be introduced to reflect those upgrades.
The proposals are due to be presented to members of our overview and scrutiny committee for their views on Monday, 1 December. They are then due to be considered by members of the executive in early 2026.