North Yorkshire Unveils Phased Plan for Unified Leisure Fees

North Yorkshire Council has announced a significant restructuring of its leisure services, aiming to harmonise the dozens of different membership types currently across the county.

The move, which transitions facilities into the new Active North Yorkshire (ANY) brand, will eventually see a single pricing structure, though residents in the Scarborough, Whitby, Filey and Pickering areas will remain on their current arrangements for now.

Under the proposals, the council is seeking to address a "fragmented approach" that currently includes approximately 70 variations of health and fitness memberships inherited from former district authorities. Officials state that this complexity has historically restricted customers to specific local hubs rather than allowing flexible access across the wider region.

A Phased Approach for the Coast

While many parts of the county will move to a new two-tier system this year, the transition for the Yorkshire Coast will be more gradual. Leisure centres in the former Scarborough Borough and Ryedale are not scheduled to join the Active North Yorkshire service until June 2027. Until that time, these facilities will continue to operate under their existing legacy pricing and management structures.

The council’s Executive Member for Culture, Arts and Housing, Councillor Simon Myers, explained that the ultimate goal is a seamless experience for all residents, regardless of where they live in the county. Councillor Myers stated:

"My ambition is that one day you can access any one of our pleasure facilities from dales to coast from the moors to Selby. There will be one pricing structure.

But what we can't in seeking to achieve that end result is penalize some of our residents disproportionately. The pricing structure that is envisaged does contain in it and increase for some of our residents in some areas and if we were to bring harmony in now those increases would be very substantial. So it's been a question of trying to find the right balance".

Understanding the Two-Tier System

For the areas entering the scheme immediately, a temporary two-tier pricing structure has been established. This is designed to reflect the significant historical investment in certain areas, particularly within the former Harrogate district.

Facilities in Harrogate, Knaresborough, and Ripon have been placed in "Tier 2," where fees will remain higher to honour the original business cases made by the former borough council to secure modernised facilities. Councillor Myers detailed the necessity of this split, noting:

"That does result in us having two tiers of membership.

So facilities in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon which have been the subject of very considerable investment over the last few years. Those investments were made initially by former Harrogate Borough council on the basis of a business case and their fees and charges were made on the basis of that business case and Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon were more expensive than other facilities in North Yorkshire.

But that was the business case that was made to secure that investment and we can't ignore that. But nor on the other hand do we wish to impose Harrogate and Ripon's and Knaresborough's charges on facilities that have not seen that investment.

So we have for the time being a two-tiered structure that eventually The aim is for convergence".

Greater Flexibility for Members

One of the most significant changes for users is the removal of fixed-term 12-month contracts. The council reports that customers frequently cited long-term commitments as a barrier to joining, and the new model will instead focus on flexible, monthly memberships.

The new structure also introduces modern digital benefits, including "Virtual Classes & Online Health" memberships. These will offer video-on-demand workouts and access to professional health services such as private GP appointments, remote physiotherapy, and 24/7 mental health support.

Councillor Myers highlighted these improvements and the broader financial commitment to the region's health:

"We have for the time being a two-tiered structure that eventually the aim is for convergence.

In in general terms there are some winners and losers but in many cases some will see a reduction.

We have got rid of 12 month contracts to give people more flexibility so they can be on monthly memberships. That was something that we were asked for and we responded to it.

Of course this sits hand in hand with the proposed investment strategy which sees an investment of 36 million across our leisure estate over the next few years".

Looking Ahead

The council acknowledges that price harmonisation inevitably leads to "winners and losers". While some areas, such as Pateley Bridge and Starbeck, are expected to see price reductions, others may see increases. To mitigate the impact, the council has pledged to honour existing "price for life" agreements for a small number of long-term members and will maintain age-based concessions for those currently aged between 60 and 65.

For former Scarborough Borough residents, the eventual move to Active North Yorkshire in 2027 will be supported by a new Leisure Management System, designed to simplify bookings and enable the council to offer targeted health and wellbeing campaigns across the entire county.