North Yorkshire Council

 

Executive

 

3 February 2026

 

Active North Yorkshire Membership and Pricing Review

 

Report of the Corporate Director Community Development

 

1.0       PURPOSE OF REPORT

 

1.1       To set out proposals for the new approach to membership and pricing for Active North                 Yorkshire (ANY).

 

 

2.0       SUMMARY

 

2.1       This report sets out proposals for a new Active North Yorkshire pricing and membership structure including recommendations on the implementation process.

 

3.0       BACKGROUND

 

3.1       Following LGR, leisure operators from the former district councils began a phased transfer of services into North Yorkshire Council’s new Active North Yorkshire (ANY) service. Five of the six operators have already completed the transition, with Scarborough and Ryedale scheduled to join in June 2027.

 

3.2       Currently, the service is operating under legacy pricing and membership structures. This presents significant challenges and highlights the need for a comprehensive review to establish a single, consistent ANY approach that meets the needs of residents and communities across North Yorkshire.

 

3.3       ANY currently offers approximately 70 variations of health and fitness memberships inherited from legacy models. This fragmented approach is inefficient, confusing, and inconsistent, restricting customers to specific Leisure and Wellbeing Hubs rather than enabling flexible and equitable access.

 

3.4       Across existing ANY hubs, the service supports circa 19,500 Health & Fitness members and 6,550 Learn to Swim pupils, generating annual membership revenues of more than £8 million and £1.45 million, respectively.

 

 

4.0       ISSUES AND OPTIONS

 

4.1       The new pricing model aims to support the delivery of the Council’s Sport and Active Well Being Service as set out in the Strategic Leisure Review, specifically to:

 

·         Establish a fair, consistent, and more equitable membership structure across all sites within North Yorkshire

·         Create a range of products that give customers choice and which meet changing customer needs and expectations.

·         Create clear pathways for all customer types, encouraging more people to become and remain active.

·         Position ANY as a health and wellbeing service, not just a traditional leisure provider.

·         Simplify marketing through targeted campaigns for specific user groups.

·         Maintain current income levels while unlocking greater potential to grow income.

·         Support ongoing investment in leisure facilities, as identified through the Leisure Investment Strategy, to ensure facilities are attractive, modern and financially sustainable and achieve projected income targets linked to these investments.

 

Issues

 

4.2       The service is currently operating on four separate legacy Leisure Management Systems (LMS), which prevents integration between areas and limits members to their local hub. A new LMS is being procured, with development starting in January 2026 and site migrations scheduled to start late August 2026 through to February 2027. The new LMS will provide significant benefits to customer experience, data management and enable commercial opportunities, including a single pricing model.

 

4.3       To address the complexity and inconsistency of current membership offers, an exercise was carried out to consolidate existing options into aligned categories based on the new proposal. This analysis provided insight into customer numbers per category, percentage of the membership base, monthly income, and average yield per membership type.

 

4.4       Using the data collected, industry benchmarks, and customer feedback, it is proposed to remove fixed‑term contracts from memberships. This change removes a common barrier for customers who are reluctant to commit to traditional 12‑month agreements, making the offer more flexible, commercially competitive, and accessible to a wider audience.

 

4.5       A key challenge is the large variation in prices and membership types across North Yorkshire. There is also a significant difference in the quality and offer across the facilities currently. Whilst there is a desire to move to a single pricing model over time, the current starting point means that single pricing would result in large price increases in areas such as Selby and Skipton, while Harrogate sites would see a reduction in charges despite the enhanced offer at many sites. Significant price increases bring a risk of members leaving and income levels being reduced. Alternatively significant price reductions would result in lower levels of income, increased subsidy and lower levels of investment in the quality of facilities.

 

4.6       Taking this into account the current multiple prices and membership types will be simplified into two tiers as below.

 

 

4.7       Tier one includes existing members Bedale, Pateley Bridge, Northallerton, Richmond, Selby, Skipton, Starbeck, Stokesley, Tadcaster and Thirsk & Sowerby.

 

4.8       Tier two reflects factors such as existing rates, location, the range of the offer, level of investment and condition. Tier two will apply to existing members at Harrogate, Knaresborough, and Ripon Leisure and Wellbeing Hubs, where pricing levels are currently higher and where there has been significant investment.

 

4.9       The new memberships will allow all customers to pay by monthly, no‑contract direct debit, or by an annual twelve‑month cash payment. The proposal also includes a one‑month cash option for single‑site adult and concession users who may only be in the area for a short period.

 

4.10     There is a Community Hub membership available for settings such as Fairfax, Jennyfield Styan, Stockwell hubs. These memberships are designed to support local communities by providing access to facilities that cannot offer the full core product range. If customers wish to access a main hub, they will need to upgrade their membership accordingly. The community hub membership will be £26.60.

 

Membership Types

 

4.11     Membership types are summarised below:

 

4.12     Corporate memberships

 

The new membership offer will streamline existing corporate arrangements, with two routes for customers to access corporate rates. The first is a core offer for specific service areas such as emergency services, the armed forces, and veterans. The second is an option for commercial / local businesses / local government organisations, where they become eligible for a corporate membership if a minimum number of their employees take out a membership. All corporate memberships would require proof every twelve months to maintain access to the rate.

 

4.13     Concession Scheme

 

There are currently several concession schemes in place, with significant variations in price and eligibility criteria. Following a review of these schemes and a benchmarking exercise against other leisure operators, proposals have been delivered for a new, standardised Active North Yorkshire (ANY) concession scheme given eligible users 25% discount.

 

4.14     This proposal includes changing senior age-based concession pricing for new customers to begin at the minimum State Pension age of 66 (rising to 67 in 2026). Customers younger than this age can still access concessionary pricing if they meet the eligibility criteria for other concession categories. Harrogate and Everyone Active centres already operate using state pension age-based concession criteria.

 

 

4.15     Virtual Membership

 

To strengthen Active North Yorkshire’s position as a Health and Wellbeing Service, the service proposes developing a new digital offer that enables users to access services remotely. This approach will provide a more accessible and cost-effective way to exercise and receive specialist health and wellbeing support. This is in line with offers from a number of other national leisure operators. The offer would include: 

 

Digital Fitness Access

·         Video-on-demand classes and workouts, allowing customers to access a wide range of fitness content from home, hotels, or any location.

 

Online Healthcare

·         A healthcare service offering:

o    Private GP appointments for members and their household.

o    Remote physiotherapy sessions.

o    Access to qualified dieticians.

o    24/7 mental health support.

 

4.16     As this is a new offer both the digital fitness and the online healthcare will require procurement of an appropriate provider.

 

4.17     For members, a bolt-on virtual membership will be available. In addition to the core virtual offer, it will include enhanced booking privileges of 10 days and 24/7 gym access (premium membership only) to access Northallerton and Thirsk & Sowerby. This membership will not be available for Juniors or Learn to Swim (LTS).

 

4.18     Wellbeing Membership

 

The service plans to introduce a dedicated ‘Wellbeing’ membership to support individuals referred through specialist programmes delivered by Active North Yorkshire. This membership will provide a more affordable pricing option, enabling those who require tailored support to access ANY hubs and participate in structured wellbeing activities. Further work is underway to define referral pathways and ensure these customers can be integrated into the wider leisure offer.

 

4.19     Learn to Swim

 

The current Learn to Swim offer is broadly consistent with mainstream provision. Lessons are 30 minutes in length and are priced between £25-30 per month, with free access to public swimming included for most sites (excluding Harrogate and Skipton). In most legacy areas, the majority of payments are made via direct debit, with a small number of customers paying in 13- or 26-week blocks. Skipton operates differently, with approximately 500 pupils paying in 12 week blocks.

 

4.20     A single and consistent pricing structure for Learn to Swim is proposed, set at £31.00 via direct debit only. Learn to Swim Members paying by direct debit will have free access to public swimming, encouraging regular practice and increase progression through the programme.

 

4.21     The proposal includes phasing out the existing 12-week block payment system at Skipton, which increases administrative workload, creates a risk of pupils attending without payment, and reflects outdated practices rather than current operational needs. Skipton does not currently offer free swimming, so the proposed price increase from £25.00 to £31.00 will be offset by the added benefit of free swimming access. However, free swimming will not be included for those continuing to pay via 12-week blocks due to configuration limitations within the learning management system.

 

4.22     Pay as You Go (PAYG) pricing

 

PAYG options are available across all hubs, allowing customers to use facilities without committing to a membership. Current PAYG rates vary significantly between sites, creating inconsistency and complexity. A review is currently in progress to standardise these rates, supported by financial modelling to ensure alignment with budget requirements for 2026/27

 

Pricing Impact on Customers

 

4.23     The table above shows the differences in pricing between the proposed new prices compared to the current price for new members. As is inevitable with price harmonisation some customers will see prices reduced, particularly customers at the smaller sites such as Pateley Bridge and Starbeck, whereas others will see prices increased, notably at Selby and Tadcaster.

 

4.24    Given the wide range of membership types and historical arrangements individual customers will be differently affected. In particular, some existing members have not seen prices increase for a number of years.

 

4.25    For Skipton members, historic practice meant that membership prices for existing customers were not increased. Although this is not a formal agreement some customers may perceive this as a ‘Price for Life’ arrangement. This affects approximately 2800 members who will see prices change as they are aligned onto the new membership structure. An impact assessment has been completed, based on aligning these memberships with the closest new offer. The assessment shows that while some customers will see savings, around 63% of members would see increases. Of those customers seeing an increase, 12% would see an increase of over £5.00 per month, As the new prices are introduced there will be early communication with this group of customers and flexibility to offer some enhancements and special offers for customers moving onto the new memberships to encourage retention.

 

4.26    Harrogate has 145 members who received a letter in 2010 which stated that, provided they did not cancel their membership, they would never face a price increase. Whilst legally there is scope to remove this offer, given the formal offer the proposal is to honour agreements with this small number of customers on existing terms, although of course some customers may choose to migrate onto a new membership offer.

 

4.27     Mitigations are also proposed to reduce the impact on groups of customers that may see more significant price increases. Key impacts include:

 

·         Customers aged between 60-65 who currently receive an age-based concession price would continue to receive this concession. Whilst many of these members will still experience an increase, this approach prevents a steep increase (in some cases up to 19%) which could be unaffordable and decrease the number of people remaining active.

·         There are approximately 1000 members across Harrogate sites who hold a gym only membership. The proposal is to stop selling this option to new customers, however, for existing customers it is proposed to honour their current membership. These customers would continue to be subject to annual price increases.

 

4.28     A detailed communication plan will be delivered for each area to ensure customers are fully informed about their new membership options, including elements that customers may not have previously accessed, such as the new digital membership offer

 

4.29     Phase one will focus on communications aimed at existing users, with the primary objective of maintaining current membership numbers and supporting people to find a membership that suits their needs. Phase two will focus on outward commercial marketing campaigns designed to increase member numbers and encourage non-users to take up a membership that aligns with their aims and goals.

 

 

5.0       CONSULTATION UNDERTAKEN AND RESPONSES

 

5.1       A membership survey was conducted with existing users to understand preferences and behaviours. The survey explored:

 

·         Sites used and frequency of visits.

·         Activities participated in.

·         Advance booking preferences.

·         Importance of features such as; multi-site access, 24-hour gym availability, household/family memberships, flexible contracts, and digital/on-demand classes.

·         Interest in private healthcare add-ons, including: 24-hour GP access, dieticians, physiotherapy, and mental health services.

·         Customer service priorities, including; cleaning standards, equipment quality, staff interactions, booking experience, and parking availability.

·         Net Promoter Score (NPS) to measure satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.

 

5.2       The survey received 4,673 responses, representing approximately 24% of the current member base.  Members place the highest value on unlimited access to activities (79%) and flexible, no-contract options (62%), with family memberships (46%) and multi-site access (40%) showing moderate appeal. Whilst wellbeing services such as online physio (41%) and GP access (35%), alongside interest in 24-hour gym access (30%) and digital fitness classes (26%), were not considered core requirements, these areas present opportunities to enhance the offer through premium add-ons.

 

6.0       CONTRIBUTION TO COUNCIL PRIORITIES

 

6.1       The provision of inclusive and accessible active wellbeing facilities and affordable pricing contributes to the Councils ambitions to support thriving places and ensure people are safe, healthy and living well.

 

7.0       ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

 

7.1       A range of alternative options have been considered. Supporting services and management team have had oversight and the proposal has been reviewed at Overview & Scrutiny on the 1st December 2025.

 

8.0       IMPACT ON OTHER SERVICES/ORGANISATIONS

 

8.1       Successful delivery of the recommendations will be supported by relevant teams as part of the Membership and Pricing Review. Supporting services have been involved and continue to be involved for this project, such as Finance, IT, Technical Finance, Legal, Procurement, Comms, Customer Services, Business Support and Public Health.

 

9.0       FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

9.1       The service operates to a net deficit of circa £4m, including, income, premises, utilities and supplies/services.

 

9.2       An impact assessment has been completed for each membership type and area. The financial impact will vary depending on the options selected by individual members. The proposed membership structures aim to protect existing income levels while creating an attractive and competitive offer that supports growth and more people becoming and staying active.

 

9.3       A financial modelling exercise has been completed by mapping existing members and their current memberships to the closest equivalent within the proposed structure. The financial impact will depend on several variables, including the membership options selected and uptake of bolt-ons such as virtual health services, digital classes, and 24-hour access. Short-term outcomes will also be influenced by potential member attrition due to price increases versus growth through acquisition of new members.

 

9.4       As with any price increase, members will be informed of changes to their fees. It is reasonable to assume that some customers who pay for a membership but do not attend regularly, may choose to cancel. However, overall it is considered that these proposals, alongside the increased levels of investment in the facilities, offer a firm foundation for long term growth. A key benefit of the streamlined approach and the introduction of a single LMS will enable delivery of targeted campaigns aimed at increasing overall membership levels.

 

9.5       Based on mapping existing customers to their closest equivalent within the proposed structure, projections show that maintaining the current membership base (0% gain/loss) would generate an additional annual income of £156,509. While there may be a short-term loss during the transition, approximately 2% attrition could occur whilst maintaining existing income. Phase two will focus on reducing attrition and driving growth through a simple, marketable offer. A 2% increase in membership is projected to deliver £318,265 in additional income, rising to £560,900 with a 5% growth in membership.

 

 

9.6       In addition to the core membership offer, the introduction of a new Virtual Classes & Online Health membership creates an additional revenue opportunity, either as a standalone product or as a bolt-on for existing members. For bolt-on customers, benefits include digital classes, online health services, 24/7 access, and enhanced booking privileges which are features likely to appeal to hubs with high demand classes and extended hours. Although currently progressing through procurement, financial projections based on covering costs and achieving a £3 net gain per person per month indicate potential annual income of £90,000 if 2,500 members (circa 12.5% of the base) subscribe, rising to £180,000 with 5,000 members (circa 25% of the base) and upwards, as uptake could exceed these estimates.

 

 

9.7       Based on the new Learn to Swim price of £31 per month, financial projections indicate that maintaining current participation levels is expected as a minimum, given existing waiting lists and strong demand. Any additional growth in the programme would result in further annual income increases beyond these baseline projections.

 

Learn to Swim

Choice

Options

Description

Membership No.

Current Income Per Month

Proposed Income Per Month

Variance Per Month

Variance Per Annum

1

Single Tier

Single pricing applies to all sites and locations

6,551

£191,315

£203,081

£11,766

£141,192

 

 

Grand Total

6,551

£191,315

£203,081

£11,766

£141,192

 

 

9.8       Summary of income projections from membership launch date: 

 

Type

Low

Mid (Expected)

High

Core Membership

- £247,881 (-5%)

+ £156,509 (0%)

+ £560,900 (5%)

Virtual Membership

+ £90,000 (2,500)

+ £180,000 (5,000)

+£ 270,000 (7,500)

Learn to Swim

+ £141,192

+ £141,192

+ £141,192

TOTAL

- £16,689

+ £477,701

+ £972,092

 

Establishing a consistent membership structure, including new products such as virtual memberships, provides a stable platform for long-term growth and supports the financial viability of the leisure investment strategy. It is reasonable to expect long-term growth to achieve the higher end of these projections, particularly as the service begins operating under redesigned structures and processes, whilst being supported by a single LMS system.

 

9.9       In addition to the projected membership income, detailed work on PAYG pricing is underway to establish a consistent approach across the service. This will contribute to achieving sustainable growth and meeting the agreed savings targets for the service.

 

9.10     Based on income targets for 2026/27 of £14,861,500, including 3.4% inflation and the agreed savings target of £100,000, the additional income required is £575,000 Given midpoint expectations of £477,701, combined with additional growth from PAYG income, streamlining services, and moving to a single LMS, the target for 2026/27 is considered achievable. It is important to note that the launch of the new membership structure is scheduled for September 2026, while PAYG and Learn to Swim prices will go live from April 2026. Embedding a new membership model will enable service to achieve and exceed the identified long-term savings targets and inflationary rates.

 

 

 

10.0     LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

10.1    S19 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 grants discretion for local authorities to provide such recreational facilities as they think fit and the power to charge use of such facilities as the local authority thinks fit.

 

10.2    Any procurement of the proposed Digital Fitness Access and/or Online Healthcare offering will be in accordance with the Council’s Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules and, to the extent applicable, the Procurement Act 2023 or the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.

 

11.0     EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

 

11.1     An EIA has been completed. The proposed membership and pricing review will provide a new consistent approach for all residents across North Yorkshire including enhanced discounts for concessionary customers.

 

12.0     CLIMATE CHANGE IMPLICATIONS

 

12.1     A climate change impact assessment has been completed, no issues were identified.

 

13.0     CONCLUSIONS

 

13.1     Active North Yorkshire is at a pivotal stage in its transition to a unified leisure and wellbeing service. The current complexity of legacy pricing and membership structures limit operational efficiency and customer experience. The proposed options aim to deliver a fair, consistent, and financially sustainable model that supports accessibility, encourages participation, and positions ANY as a leading health and wellbeing provider. Implementing these changes will require effective communication and phased delivery to manage risks and maintain customer confidence.

 

13.2     These proposals will also support the implementation of the new Leisure Management System (LMS) by simplifying membership structures and pricing, reducing configuration complexity, and enabling seamless integration. In addition, they align with the longer-term Leisure Investment Strategy by creating a sustainable foundation for the service that maximises income potential and supports reinvestment in facilities and equipment.

 

13.3     That the Council invests in a targeted way in its leisure facilities in order to support delivery of the wider aims as set out in the Strategic Leisure Review and to ensure the long term sustainability of its facilities.

 

14.0     REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

14.1     The recommendations aim to maintain current income levels while unlocking greater commercial potential for significant growth. They support the planned works outlined in the Leisure Investment Strategy, enabling the service to maximise commercial performance and achieve projected income targets linked to these investments. Additionally, they seek to establish a fair, consistent, and more equitable membership structure across all sites, while creating clear pathways for all customer types to encourage more people to start and continue being active. Positioning ANY as a health and wellbeing service rather than just a traditional leisure provider will strengthen its appeal, and simplifying marketing through targeted campaigns for specific user groups will enhance engagement and drive participation.

 

 

15.0

RECOMMENDATIONS        

 

It is recommended that approval is granted to implement a new pricing structure for Active North Yorkshire as set out in this report, specifically this includes:

 

 

i)              Implementation of a phased approach to pricing consistency with an initial implementation of a two tier pricing structure as set out above.

ii)             Removal of fixed term contracts to improve flexibility and accessibility and in response to customer feedback.

iii)           Approve the implementation of a new concession scheme, including senior concession to state pension age (currently 66, increasing to 67 in 2026).

iv)           Approve the principles of introducing on demand fitness and healthcare services, subject to further costs/benefit analysis and procurement.

v)            Approve the proposed learn to swim pricing model, maintaining free access to public swimming as part of the offer.

Approve the measures to mitigate significant price increases and honour existing agreements for existing customers between 60-65 who receive an age-based concession, current gym only memberships at Harrogate and formal price for life agreements at Harrogate.

 

 

 

            APPENDICES:

 

-       Appendix A: Equalities Impact Assessment

-       Appendix B: Climate Change Impact Assessment – initial screening form

 

            BACKGROUND DOCUMENTS:

 

-       Membership survey summary document

 

Nic Harne

Corporate Director – Community Development

County Hall

Northallerton

 

Report Author – Jo Ireland, Assistant Director (Culture, Leisure, Archives and Libraries)

 

 

Note: Members are invited to contact the author in advance of the meeting with any detailed queries or questions.