FITNESS enthusiasts in Ulverston say they are being taken “back in time” by a decision to change the venue of their exercise classes.

North Country Leisure, which took over the operation of leisure facilities for South Lakeland District Council in April, will begin making changes to the gym and fitness studio at Ulverston Leisure Centre later this month.

Work is due to begin on October 22 to turn the two rooms into one large gym and is expected to be completed in late November.

However, as a result of the work about 12 fitness classes which used to take place in the studio have been moved to other locations in the town including the Glaxo Sports and Social Club, Ulverston Victoria High School, St Mary’s Hall and Ulverston’s tennis centre.

David Foot, who attends a circuit training class at the centre, said some of the alternative venues were “totally inappropriate”.

“The studio has a sprung floor and air conditioning and it is light and airy,” said Mr Foot, 61, who lives near Gawthwaite.

“Using St Mary’s Hall is like going back in time. There’s no air conditioning and there are no changing rooms or showers. They are proposing moving my circuit training to the tennis centre and it’s freezing in there and cold and damp. It is totally inappropriate.”

Mary Barton, 65, of Byron Street, Ulverston, said she was horrified her Zumba class was going to be moved to St Mary's Hall.

"I joined the gym at the centre because it had modern facilities and I am absolutely disgusted we are having to go back in time to the '50s or '60s by using church halls," she said.

Derek Jones, contracts manager for NCL in South Lakeland, said the move would help improve facilities at the centre and safeguard the future of the other locations being used.

The proposed changes had been made clear in a newsletter sent to customers when NCL took over the centre, he said.

“We are using facilities across Ulverston which are frankly under utilised and so it makes those facilities more sustainable as well,” he said.

“In Ulverston there is going to be an increase in population and so we are planning to try and support that as well and we will be able to deliver double the amount of classes and a greater range of classes.”

Mr Jones said an ongoing strategy was being worked out that would determine whether any of the classes could move back to the leisure centre once the work was completed.