Lifestyle Fitness and V1BE are partnering to open a new, £1m health club in Manchester.

Scheduled to open in early 2021, the club is part of the Anco&Co development on Great Ancoats Street adjacent to the city's Northern Quarter.

It will increase the number of sites in the Lifestyle Fitness portfolio to 28 and is the first to be developed and opened in partnership with boutique fitness studio V1BE.

The club will be spread over two floors, with V1BE running its programme of group exercise classes in a purpose-built mezzanine studio.

“We wanted to deliver a space that goes beyond a traditional gym, so we teamed up with V1BE, the leading studio workout brand already synonymous with the people of Manchester,” said Lifestyle Fitness MD James Lawrence.

"Together we are excited to deliver Manchester’s best workouts.”

“We’ve spent a lot of time over the last few years really honing in on what makes a great community.

"We know that the personal touches, reliability and dependability go a long way. Our club will feature the latest equipment, functional training spaces and our changing rooms will feel more like a boutique hotel than a gym. We don’t cut corners when it comes to our personal service and commitment to our members.”

V1BE was launched in March 2017 and plans to grow its presence in the boutique market using a combination of organic growth and franchising.

Speaking to HCM in early 2019, V1BE co-founder Andy Tee said setting up a premium studio fitness business in the north west "posed some unique challenges". To read the full interview with Tee from February 2019, click here for Health Club Management 2/2019.