Membership terms and conditions

1. The contract between you and us

As a member you agree to follow the rules of membership relating to using our centres and your behaviour within Chelmsford City Council centres. 

2. How long will my membership last?

Your membership commitment period is for a minimum of six calendar months at the agreed monthly rate (Excluding any freeze months). After this, your membership will automatically renew on a month to month basis unless you or we end your membership in accordance with section 3 or 6. Your commitment period starts from the date of your first direct debit. 

All membership fees are subject to change. However, you will be given at least 10 working days’ notice of any future increase in fees and will be entitled to cancel your membership by giving 30 days written notice should we increase the price you committed to. If you have provided an email address any advance notification of direct debit changes will be sent electronically to you via email, please let us know in writing if you prefer to receive by post. 

3. What happens if I change my mind and want to cancel my membership?

As long as you have not used your membership and you inform us in writing within seven days of agreeing to these terms and conditions, we will refund any membership fees you have paid to us and release you from contract without charge.

4. How can I suspend or freeze membership?

If you wish to put your membership on freeze you must do so in writing by completing a freeze form from reception, no later than the 17th day of the previous month that you wish your freeze period to start.

You may freeze for a maximum of 3 months at a time in whole calendar months only.

When your agreed freeze period ends, your monthly direct debit membership will automatically return to the agreed monthly amount.

5. Late payments

If you fail to make payments due under this contract, we may contact an external agency or other organisation to help us collect payment from you. We will only do this after we have written to you (at the postal address we have on our records, it is your responsibility to advise us to any changes in your details). We also have the right to suspend your membership and refuse you entry to all of our leisure centres until you have paid the full amount you owe.

6. How can I end my membership?

You may not end your membership within your initial commitment period unless you qualify under the following reasons:

a) You are unable to use our centres due to serious illness or injury that is likely to mean you cannot use a centre for at least three calendar months. You must provide reasonable professional evidence of this such as a doctor’s certificate or letter. 

b) You are made redundant and provide us with a letter of redundancy from your employer. 

c) You move out of the Chelmsford Council tax code area and provide sufficient evidence of this, such as a council tax bill.

Please note we will not back date cancellations and will only cancel memberships in accordance with the conditions above once the relevant proof has been received. We will not accept verbal cancellations. All cancellations must be made in writing. Note we will not offer refunds for non-usage.

If you have completed your minimum commitment period, you may cancel your membership by giving us notice in writing no later than the 17th day of the previous month that you wish to cancel. We will not accept cancellations verbally. Once written notice is received by us you can cancel your direct debit with your bank. It is your responsibility to do this. 

You may only downgrade your membership once you have completed your minimum commitment period (excluding any freeze months). 

7. Data protection

Chelmsford City Council is a Data Controller for the purposes of data protection legislation. All personal information is held and processed in accordance with this. 

Please refer to our Privacy Notices for details. Please contact us if you need the privacy notice in an alternative format. 

General terms and conditions

8. Chelmsford City Council reserves the right to change the conditions (including the range of activities, timetables and booking restrictions) of the Memberships. Advance warning will be given where possible.

9. All members must adhere to the centre rules, respect other members, staff and facilities at all times. Chelmsford City Council reserves the right to terminate a Members Membership Agreement if the Member breaches this contract and/or breaches the rules of any other Chelmsford City Council leisure facility or for any other reason that Chelmsford City Council deems appropriate.

10. Use of the gym equipment at any of Chelmsford City Council’s four gyms is only permitted once an induction has been completed. If an induction was booked prior to taking up a Membership, the induction cost will be refunded only if a monthly membership is taken up on the day of that booked induction. 

A Technogym key must be purchased for use of the gym at Riverside Leisure and Chelmsford Sport and Athletics Centre (CSAC), Only one key is required to access both centres.

11. The gym equipment varies between all four gyms operated by the Council. It is up to the Member to request an induction ‘top up’ when using new or different equipment at a gym other than their main site where they had their original gym induction. This will be provided free of charge to all those on a monthly Membership package but may be subject to staff availability.

12.Children must be 14 years or over to use the Gym at Riverside Leisure Centre (exclusions may apply) and 16 years or over at Chelmsford Sport and Athletics Centre (CSAC), Dovedale Sports Centre (Dovedale) and South Woodham Ferrers Leisure Centre (SWF Leisure Centre). Children must be 14 years or over to use exercise classes. Please note there are restrictions on certain classes whereby the minimum age is 16, please refer to class timetable. Children aged 14/15 must be accompanied by parent/guardian in the gym after 5.30pm at Riverside. Gym induction required. 

13. A Member can only book a child into the crèche at Riverside if they are the parent or guardian of that child and the child is aged from six weeks up until the child’s 5th birthday. The Member must remain within the Centre during the crèche booking. Sessions for the crèche are one hour in length and either start on the hour or at half past the hour. Children will not be allowed into the crèche before their booking starts. Only one 'free of charge' session can be booked per day. Any additional time (maximum of two hours total per day) must be paid for at reception. This applies to one child only. Additional children must be paid for. All sessions are subject to availability. 

14. External facilities included in the Memberships (such as casual athletics and MUGA) do not include the use of floodlights. If these are required, they must be paid for separately.

15. Car parking is subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. Certain Membership packages include a parking permit for Riverside Victoria Road car park, where the Membership is taken out at Riverside Leisure centre. This allows free parking whilst the customer is using the centre as long as the correct permit is displayed. A maximum of 3 hours of parking is permitted per day. Please refer to the Riverside car park permit terms and conditions. We do not guarantee a car parking space as part of your membership. Annual fees apply.

16. Car parking at Riverside: car parking permits at Riverside must be returned by the last day of your membership. Failure to return will result in your membership continuing on a monthly basis until this has been returned. 

17. Chelmsford City Council reserves the right to adjust the opening and/or closing hours of any of its leisure centres or to close off areas to the public for the purpose of cleaning, decorating, refurbishments and repairs or for specific functions and holidays. Customers will be kept informed of these changes in advance (where possible) through notices at the centre and on its website/s. No refunds will be considered for facility closures less than one month.

18. The Membership agreement is specific to the individual. Partners or children of the Member must obtain their own Membership. All bookings made as part of the Membership are purely for the Member. The Membership card must not be passed to another person for use. Regular checks will be carried out to ensure this is adhered to. Anyone found to be misusing their card may result in their membership being terminated and any membership fees already paid will be lost.

19. An individual will be required to have their photograph taken as part of the Membership registration process, (unless one has been taken within the last 12 months as part of the individual’s ourChelmsford card application). This will be used for identification purposes and will be held electronically on the Council’s computer system.

20. Membership fees are reviewed annually. Notification will be given to each member at least 10 working days before any price increases are implemented. You may give notice to cancel within 30 days of the price increase regardless of your commitment period if your price is increased.

21. Members must produce their card at reception desk upon each visit to the centre. At Riverside you may use the fast track barriers and kiosk.

22. Booking (up to 10 days in advance for members) on all applicable activities (such as exercise classes, squash, MUGA and crèche) is strongly recommended. All sessions are subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. When facilities are full to capacity you may be asked to wait until space is available. 

23. If a booked activity session is overrun, or the member is late in collecting their child from the crèche (Riverside only), and a new session time has started, the member will be charged for the additional session that was not booked. This will be added to the computer system and no new booking can be made until this has been paid for.

24. A minimum of 2 hours’ notice of cancellation is required for any activity booked in advance, except for sports hall sessions, where a minimum of 24-hours’ notice of cancellation is required. We will charge you the full amount if you do not cancel in time, or if you do not attend. Any arrears payment must be made before further bookings can be made. 

25. “Anytime” allows use by the Member at any time within the centre and/or facilities’ opening / closing hours or when that activity is available. This covers both peak and off-peak hours where applicable. Off peak hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and after 12noon at weekends.

26. “Term times” and “School holidays” refer to Essex County Council dates.

27. Ice Patch sessions can only be used once an induction has been given by an ice professional and you have reached the correct skate levels.

28. Covid guidance: 

• If you or anyone you live with has coronavirus symptoms, do not use the centre. 
• Whilst wearing a mask and social distancing is not required within the centre, we ask that you remain respectful of others, so everyone feels safe.

These conditions will be reviewed regularly in line with government guidelines. Chelmsford City Council reserves the right to change these conditions at any time. Advance warning will be given where possible.