Leisure Industry News - August 2025

Our August review captures a month of change, ambition, and debate across the UK leisure industry.

This month’s headlines range from the closure of much-loved venues to multi-million-pound upgrades and ambitious expansion plans. In addition, holiday parks are preparing for record visitor numbers this year, golf clubs are securing their futures, and a new hotel is set to rise in a key UK city. 

From international hospitality brands making their UK debut to significant community leisure changes, here’s a closer look at the stories shaping the leisure landscape this month...

• After 47 years, the popular Baltic Wharf Caravan and Motorhome Club site in Bristol has closed its gates permanently, leaving loyal visitors heartbroken. The beloved harbourside park offered 56 pitches and was a favourite among tourists for its prime waterfront location.

• The UK’s leading holiday park operator, Haven, is investing £140 million in its estate for 2025, a year in which it will welcome a record 3.7 million holidaymakers. This investment will add new holiday home pitches and dining options, including Wetherspoon pubs and Burger King restaurants, while also upgrading facilities and expanding holiday break offerings.

• A long-term future has been secured for Farnham Park Golf Club after Waverley Borough Council approved a 15-year contract with current tenants, SQ Leasing. The deal is expected to generate over £200,000 and comes as a relief to members amid a worrying trend of golf club closures.

• Over 1,100 people have signed a petition opposing Royal Birkdale Golf Club's plans to build a new practice area ahead of next year's Open Championship. Opponents want to ensure continued public access to Birkdale Common, which a Sefton Council report says would be changed to golf course use.

• Dubai-based JA Resorts & Hotels has entered the UK market by taking over the management of two historic Scottish hotels: Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort near Glasgow and The Bruntsfield in Edinburgh. The expansion marks the hospitality brand's first venture into the UK and adds two distinctive properties to its portfolio.

• Plans for a new 164-bedroom hotel in Belfast's Botanic area have been approved, with the project set to include a ground-floor bar and restaurant. The hotel, proposed by applicant Andras House, will be built on a site currently used as a car park and retail unit.

• After a competitive bidding process, Southampton City Council has announced that leisure operator BH Live will take over the management of three of its leisure facilities, including The Quays Swimming and Diving Complex, Bitterne Leisure Centre, and the Chamberlayne Leisure Centre, starting on 1st September 2025.

• Chelsea's plans for a new 60,000-seater stadium are facing further delays due to "spiralling" construction costs, with club officials still undecided on whether to redevelop Stamford Bridge or build on a new site. The fan-led organisation that owns the current ground, has stated that no concrete proposals have been submitted.

• Everlast Gyms is set to open a new London flagship gym, along with two other flagship locations in Liverpool and Manchester. The new sites will feature modern fitness trends like Hyrox training, VIP recovery areas with ice baths, and reformer Pilates studios. Liverpool and Manchester will open before the end of the year, and London will follow in 2026.



• An Oxfordshire private school, Our Lady's Abingdon (OLA), is closing after 160 years, with its governing board citing the upcoming introduction of VAT on fees as the main reason. The decision was made after "exhausting every possible option" to secure the school's future amid a range of economic pressures.