Leisure trust GLL is to open its first standalone, wholly owned budget club in London later this year.

Mark Sesnan, managing director of GLL told Health Club Management that the Gym-London branded club will open "before Christmas" but declined to confirm the exact location.

GLL entered the budget club sector with its Gym-London brand in 2008 but so far the concept has worked mainly as an option for members to gain limited, gym-only access at full-service leisure centres operated by GLL.

Sesnan said: "At most of our centres Gym-London simply as a lower price point, whereby you work out at the same facility but don't have access to the full range of services.

"We're accumulating learnings from that and our next project will be a standalone, 100 per cent GLL-operated Gym-London."

GLL currently operates another Gym-London site at London's Colombo Centre as a 50:50 partnership with Jubilee Hall Trust.

To read the full interview with Mark Sesnan, click here to view the latest issue of Health Club Management.