CENTER PARCS chairman Martin Robinson will next month take the chair at Holmes Place, the fitness-club chain, succeeding Gerald Corbett.

The Sunday Times revealed last November that Corbett, chairman of Woolworths, had resigned from Holmes Place, which is owned by Bridgepoint Capital and Permira, the private-equity groups.

Archie Norman, a fellow retail veteran, will also stand down from the board next month. He and Corbett have been at Holmes Place since October 2003.

Robinson has worked at Center Parcs since 1997. Prior to that he was at Scottish & Newcastle’s pub division. He currently sits on the boards of Euro Disney and Regus, the serviced-office firm.

Elsewhere in the sector, Fitness First, one of the world’s largest gym groups, is thought to be in exclusive talks to buy smaller rival Fitness Exchange for between £10m and £15m.

Fitness Exchange, founded by former English squash and hockey captain Mike Corby, has an estate of 13 clubs, most of which are in the City.

It is not the first time Corby has considered a sale. In 1998, at the start of the health-club boom, he received a number of approaches but elected not to sell up.

Fitness First, acquired in September by BC Partners, the buyout firm, for £835m, hopes to grow by entering new markets and by acquisition.

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