Steyning Leisure Centre's gym membership fell from almost 1,000 to under 800 in 20 months, the council says, while swimming grew. Its dry side needs investment.

Updated 6 November: the council has agreed to release its rights over a multi-use games area that forms part of the leisure facilities at Steyning Grammar School, because the school needs it for its rebuild. The officer decision, dated 23 October, says the area “has fallen into disrepair” and is no longer used (HDC decision notice).

Gym membership at Steyning Leisure Centre has fallen from almost 1,000 in January 2025 to fewer than 800 in September 2026, Horsham District Council says. Swimming at the centre is still growing, but fitness use is in “a significant and sustained decline”.

The figures are in the council’s performance report for July to September, which went to its Finance and Performance scrutiny committee on Monday 2 November (Performance Report Quarter 2 2026/27).

The four council leisure centres

The council owns four leisure centres: The Bridge at Broadbridge Heath, Pavilions in the Park in Horsham, Billingshurst and Steyning. Between July and September they recorded 251,592 visits.

  • That is about 4% down, or roughly 9,000 visits, on the same three months of 2025.
  • It is below the bottom of the council’s target range, which was 262,533 visits, so the measure is rated amber.
  • The Bridge and Pavilions in the Park were broadly level with last year and account for 73% of all visits.
  • Billingshurst was down on last year, but in line with the same quarter of 2024.
  • Steyning had the biggest fall.

Why Steyning is losing gym users

The report gives several likely reasons:

  • The building. It says the dry side facilities, the gym and sports hall rather than the pool, “are of a comparatively poor standard and require investment”.
  • Building work next door. The centre shares its site with Steyning Grammar School, which is rebuilding. The report says the construction “may already be impacting attendance levels”.
  • Better gyms nearby. It points to continuing improvements at Chanctonbury Leisure Centre in Storrington, about six miles west, and an extensive recent gym refurbishment at Henfield Leisure Centre, about four miles north east. Members may have moved there.

Improvements at Steyning are tied to two things still being decided. One is the procurement of the council’s new leisure contract. The other is the talks with the school and others about the school’s rebuilding programme.

We covered the background in September, when the Cabinet looked at the leisure contract. The council’s report then described Steyning’s dry side as dated and poorly arranged, with the sports hall nearing the end of its life. Any new facilities were expected to be sought around 2029 (Leisure Centre Investment report, Cabinet 23 September 2026; our story: Horsham leisure centres: padel courts, 40 more gym stations).

What it means for you

  • The pool is not the problem. Swimming participation at Steyning “continues to increase”, the report says. The September report said the pool and changing rooms are unaffected by the school’s building programme.
  • Nothing is closing. The report describes falling use and the case for investment. It does not propose cutting hours or services at Steyning.
  • The future of the gym and sports hall depends on decisions not yet made, in the new leisure contract and the school rebuild. We will report them when they come to councillors.

Sources