This month sees the opening of the first small-town concept club from Bannatyne Fitness.

Located in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, the 20,000sq ft site offers the full range of facilities usually found in Bannatyne’s larger out of town centres, but has been designed to cater for membership of 2,500, said operations director, Nigel Armstrong.

The £3.4m club includes a fully-equipped gym, two studios, a 20m pool and a spa, sauna and steam area, as well as a café bar and private parking for members.

A second small-town club is due to open in Folkestone in October.

Bannatyne is also to launch a full scale club in Oxford in June, bringing its total number of sites in the UK to 34.

The company aims to have 40 sites in operation by 2005.