A POPULAR gym in Thorpe Bay has confirmed the closure of its swimming pool and wet area to be as early as next week, giving members just over a week’s notice.

LA Fitness gym, in Bournes Green Chase, Thorpe Bay, has about 2,500 members who enjoy the centre’s pool, sauna and jacuzzi, but all are being removed on September 1.

Pure Gym took over 43 LA Fitness centres across the country in May and is rebranding the centres which will have no “wet facilities”.

Members had not been given a date for the change, but have now been told they will be closed next Tuesday.

Members are shocked at the pace of the refurbishment and are very unhappy at the removal of the swimming pool, squash courts and cafe.

Ronald Colman, 82, of Manors Way, Westcliff, is very upset by the closure as it is very important to his wife and her friends, who regularly attend water aerobics.

He said: “I understand and fully appreciate that from a business point of view, the internal area of ‘swimming and sauna’ is certainly not going to be as profitable as the intentions of the new.

“However, it certainly appears to have space for it to be expanded sufficiently to cater for its intentions without having to cut-out any of the really useful facilities it offers to the general public.

“The over 60s aerobics class alone has over 250 members who have attended for several years, and it has almost become a way of life.”

Paul Wallace, 36, from the Garrison, Shoebury, is a longstanding member of the gymand visits regularly with his threeyear- old son Charlie. He is also a county squash player and says the lost facilities will be a blow to members.

He added: “When I was at the club everyone was saying they were cancelling their memberships.

I think at least 50 per cent of members will leave.

“I can’t believe we have been given a week’s notice. It’s all happened very quickly. They have disregarded members that have been there for over 30 years, they haven’t been asked. It’s a health club that so many people use.

“For some of them it’s their lives and it will affect them badly.”

Members have been told that in order to complete the transformation, the centre needs to fully closed on November, 6 and will re-open as a brand new PureGym in late November.

Benn Ullman, spokesman for PureGym said: “We provide the facilities most people want.

Where this has happened membership has tripled. I appreciate that some people won’t want that.”

The club will undergo a £650,000 refurbishment, which will include brand new showers, toilets, lockers and the installation of brand new gym equipment