Some gym-goers at the council’s Seven Islands Leisure Centre in Rotherhithe, South London said the inflation busting fee hikes would make them consider switching gyms, when asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) on Thursday (February 6).
Another gym-goer, who declined to give his name, said he thought the opening of the nearby Canada Water Leisure Centre in spring would make the council’s membership price rise worth it.
Leisure centre fee rises waved through by Southwark Council’s cabinet in the 2025/26 budget on Tuesday (February 4) would see membership prices rise by over a third.
But Simon Treacy, 37, said that the leisure centre would still remain cheaper than alternatives in the area despite the price rise.
Local backlash as Southwark Council gym fees set to rise by £144 a year Gym-goers have expressed unease at planned £144 annual increases to the cost of a South London council’s memberships.
