Alan Race, who is recovering from an operation to improve his mobility, is among a group of residents upset by the price hikes at the fitness centre in East Durham College.

They say they face a rise from £3 to £5.50 per gym session at the college when it reopens as part of a £38million campus in Peterlee.

The proposals have been met by anger from its regular users, who say the centre should be affordable for everyone and have pledged to find an alternative venue on principle.

The college has said it has prioritising its use for its students and says it plans to increase the charge to £5 to take into account the £1.25million it has spent on new facilities.

In addition to the boxing, weights and cardiovascular areas created in a former basketball block, it will have a 500-seater hall, physio room and courts when it opens this month.

Users of the gym contacted the Echo to voice their concerns, with more getting in touch after they saw our story.

They include Mr Race, a self-employed civil engineer, who has used the gym three times a week for the last decade.

The 57-year-old, whose friend Les King has previously spoken out about the price increase, has arthritis and has found working out keeps him fit and mobile, with the Howletch campus just a short distance away from his home.

The father-of-three is recovering from an operation to fuse his right ankle and is due to under go the same procedure on his left leg in coming months.

He said: "It saves me from going to the physiotherapist and I'm very fit for my age, but I have arthritis problems and I need to go to the gym or else I start to seize up.

" I think they'll just chase us all away, which is a shame.

"The price rise isn't necessarily an issue for me, they have to put the price up if they've put in new equipment, but the trouble is the prices are ridiculous. I don't know anybody who's really said anything positive about it.

"It's an £38million project and that's a lot of money."

Users say they could find a membership package cheaper with a company such as Bannatynes, David Lloyd or at Peterlee Leisure Centre, but want to support the college and its helpful staff.

It has also emerged football teams are also looking to play their games elsewhere after they were told hire of its courts would rise from £15 an hour to £50.

Richard Harris, 51, from Hutton Henry, is a member of a squad which has used the facilities each Sunday morning for indoor five-a-side games during the last seven years.


His team has been using a pitch at the leisure centre while work has been carried out on the college, and are now likely to stay there at a cost of £35 a time.

He said: "How can they justify a 230 per cent increase? We are happy to pay an increase to say £25 or £35 in line with other facilities, but not paying a further £25 on top of that.

"It's supposed to be a community college. Some of the lads have just been made redundant and a couple worked at Caterpillar, and there are lots of people in a similar situation. They said to me write a letter, but why should I? We'll go somewhere else and give them my money."

A spokesman for East Durham College said: "Unfortunately, we are raising our prices. However, we are doing this so we are in line with other sporting centres in the area on a per visit basis. We feel our students deserve the best and should get professional facilities."