Browse Sections
Interactive
Popular Sections
Competition
Win £500 home security system
Click here for details
A shower in the a.m.News
| 
Submit Comments
Shuan Bell, who is upset about increases to his gym membership costs
advertisement
Fit City price hike slammed
Sam Kirby1/ 5/2008
FITNESS fanatics across Salford are steamed off at changes to membership in Fit City gyms across the city which will result in additional user costs.
New changes mean anyone using gym facilities in Salford will now have to pay an additional £2 ‘Pay and Play’ fee each time they want to use the steam room or sauna, despite these originally being included in membership costs.
Shaun Bell, who joined Fit City Worsley in March and uses the gym three - four times a week, says he is ‘utterly disgusted’ at the new plans.
Fifty-year-old Shuan said: "I’m a fully paid up 12 month member and I got the induction when I joined which included the steam room and sauna.
"I’m also an asthmatic since birth and to enable me to function well I need to regulate my weight and fitness and the steam room’s really good for me, after a work out it helps me regain my lung capacity."
But according to Leisure In Salford the changes are ‘beyond their control’ and are due to a recent VAT ruling.
This ruling would mean incurring a bill in excess of £160,000 per year in order to keep the current membership scheme or increasing the membership cost for all members, many of whom do not use the sauna.
Shaun, who paid an up front fee of £325 for his year’s membership, has calculated that, based on using the gym three times a week, he would have to pay an additional £312 for full services, an increase of 97 per cent to his original membership fee.
He added: "I entered into a contract which they are now set to breach because the financial team failed to take into account a VAT charge.
"Some staff members are saying that they have known for months so why would they enter into a year long contract with me if they knew.
"They want Salford to get fit and healthy but the only thing getting fit and healthy is their bank balance."
However Salford Community Leisure have defended their actions again reiterating that the changes are beyond their control, arguing that the current changes are the best possible compromise for all Salford Fit City members. Garry Bateman, head of leisure management at Salford Community Leisure said: "We’re now obliged to charge VAT on admissions to saunas within our membership packages.
"Regrettably, this has given us no choice but to remove access to the sauna from our membership.
"Rather than the council absorb these extra charges which would cost approximately £160,000, the sauna will now be charged on a pay and go basis.
"We understand the health benefits that saunas can have and we have reduced our pay and go admission fee for this considerably from £5.00 to £2 per visit.
"We have spoken to Mr Bell and have arranged an appointment with him to look at his fitness needs to find an option that will be the best value for money."
Most recent 1 of 1 user comments
Got an opinion you want to share?Should less emphasis be placed on the results of tests and more emphasis on general education for children?
| Card | BT Fee |
| Virgin Credit Card | 2.98% |
| Egg Card | 3.0% |
| Barclaycard Platinum | 2.9% |
| Barclaycard OnePulse For London | 2.9% |
| Lloyds TSB Platinum MasterCard | 3.0% |
| Company | Typical APR |
| FirstPlus Exclusive Rate | 6.6% |
| Moneyback Bank | 7.2% |
| Barclaycard Personal Loan | 7.3% |
| Alliance & Leicester | 7.7% |
| Halifax (Semi-exclusive) | 7.8% |
| Bank of Scotland (Semi-exclusive) | 7.8% |
| Barclays | 7.9% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Savings Account |
6.16% |
|
BRADFORD & BINGLEY Internet Saver 2 |
6.00% |
|
ICESAVE Easy Access Account |
6.05% |
|
PRINCIPALITY BS e-SAVER |
5.75% |
|
SAINSBURYS BANK internet saver |
5.50% |
1/05/2008 at 14:13