New Park Way gym opens after £900,000 refurb
20-year lease signed
A new gym opened its doors in Park Way last week, following a £900,000 refurbishment.
Bstfitness, which opened last Wednesday, is run by Basingstoke Sports Trust and the company is leasing the premises – previously occupied by Energie Fitness – from West Berkshire Council on a long-term lease of 20 years.
Club manager Matthew Berry said initial feedback from members had been really good, especially from members of previous fitness clubs that had folded at the site.
Mr Berry said: “They have seen other clubs come and go, but we have been in Basingstoke for 50 years and want to be in Newbury for 50 years as well.”
Open seven days a week, the new club includes a 100-station gym, training room, fitness studio and sauna, with the swimming pool set to re-open on Monday, and children’s swimming lessons scheduled from Monday to Sunday.
Issues with the swimming pool plant, which had lain dormant since last summer, caused a few days delay in opening the pool.
Mr Berry said: “We knew there had been issues before with the pool and took the decision that when we open the pool we want it to be perfect.”
Studio classes include spin, body pump, body combat, Zumba, stretch and tone, yoga and pilates.
The company also manages Basingstoke Sports Centre, in Festival Place and chairman and trustee Martyn Frost said the ambitious business was keen to extend the benefit of physical activity to other communities.
Mr Frost said: “Over the last few years we have increased the number of people visiting Basingstoke Sports Centre to more than 684,000 during 2013/14.
“This is something we are extremely proud of and we aim to provide a similarly successful operation at our new site.”
Built in the 1930s when it was the Forum Cinema, before becoming the ABC Cinema, Newbury residents have previously reminisced about the building’s ‘old cinema days’ on social media sites.
All inclusive membership of bstfitness costs £29.95 per month, with 40 car parking spaces available free of charge to members.
To join online (only) visit www.bst.fitness.
