Sports Direct Fitness Bury St Edmunds members celebrate as West Suffolk Council votes unanimously to refuse change of use
Gym-goers and staff are celebrating today after plans to change the use of a Bury St Edmunds gym and pool were officially refused.
This follows a West Suffolk Council meeting on December 7 when councillors indicated that they were minded to refuse proposals to change the use of Sports Direct Fitness gym in Easlea Road to a retail facility on the basis of loss of leisure facilities.
Due to the plans, which were submitted by the building's landlord, being recommended for approval by council officers, councillors met again today following a risk assessment report where they made a final unanimous decision to refuse.
More than 50 gym-goers and employees who supported a campaign, launched by member Carol Smithson with support from Melanie Soanes, another member, and Michael Crichton, a former senior adviser for PE, Sport and Physical Activity for Suffolk County Council’s Learning & Improvement Service and current board member for Active Suffolk, attended the meeting.
They were represented by member Elizabeth Hodder who spoke before councillors and highlighted the importance of the gym and pool for its 2,300 members and the small businesses that run from the site.
"The groundswell of public opposition to this application is not to be under-estimated," she told councillors.
"We, the end users of this thriving facility at Easlea Road, must trust to your judgment today to prevent our community suffering an immediate and irreplaceable loss of amenity caused by the redevelopment of this site to retail."
During the meeting several councillors voiced their support for the gym and its positive impact on both physical and mental health, including Moreton Hall ward councillor Trevor Beckwith and Cllr James Lay.
Cllr Beckwith said a change of use would 'exacerbate the current shortfall' of sports facilities in the town and added that a proposed developer contribution to go towards different facilities would not benefit residents in the area who cannot travel elsewhere.
"The proposed measure is as far away from the current site as is possible within the town boundaries," he said.
He added that the gym is important to repair the damage done by three years of lockdowns and isolation, and said it helps keep many older people healthy.
Cllr James Lay said he visited the gym himself on Boxing Day and New Years Day, times he thought would be relatively quiet, and found some 30 people using the facilities.
He described the gym as 'first class' and said: "We have a problem with health and we have a problem with mind. We can't just stand on the sidelines and say this can be a retail unit."
The councillors voted unanimously in favour of refusing the proposal. The landlord now has the ability to appeal the decision if they wish.
After the vote, Elizabeth Hodder said: "It is another watershed really. The anxiety of the long term is still there but even if they appeal it has bought us some breathing room.
"People think of a gym and they just think of sweaty teenagers but it goes much much further than that."
And the Sue Brown and Casey Ward who work for h2go swim school which is based at the centre, said they were emotional following the vote, but pleased their classes which teach vital water safety to children, support new mums with anti-natal depression and help older people stay healthy, could continue.
Carol Smithson and Melanie Soanes thanked the councillors, in particular Cllr Beckwith and Cllr Lay, for their support.
Cllr Peter Thompson, who represents Moreton Hall ward and is town mayor, said while the council can't control the future of the gym as it is a private company and the building owned by a private landlord, it is a 'moral win' for campaigners.
"It is very very pleasing to me because it affirms our commitment to the health and wellbeing of our residents," he said.
"More than anything else I want to congratulate the members themselves for the way they conducted their campaign to keep the gym open."
