New 24-hour Gym in Spalding Gets Green Light
A new 24-hour gymnasium is set to open in Spalding, Lincolnshire, replacing the former Carpetright store on Westlode Street. The gymnasium, despite some public resistance, recently received approval from the South Holland District Council.
Gymnasium to Replace Carpetright Store
The former Carpetright store, which shares parking facilities with B&M, is looking at a complete transformation to a fully functional gymnasium. The proposal, submitted in earnest by Switha Ltd, has been favourably reviewed by the South Holland District Council and given the nod of approval on Friday, October 27th.
Resistance from Public and Assurance From Authority
While certain sections of the public have hailed the gymnasium as a welcome development to the town, there have been concerns from others. A prominent objection read,
"Spalding does not need anymore gyms. Having another will have a detrimental affect on the gyms currently in Spalding. The car park at Carpetright is also not big enough, it's already packed at weekends with B&M shoppers." Another point of contention was the fear of noise pollution emanating from music being played throughout the night.
The relevant officer's report addressing the concerns stated,
"The planning system cannot interfere with market competition, and in this case, the gym is in an edge of centre location and therefore is an appropriate use. Concerns about parking and noise are controllable via other legislation rather than planning. Changing parking habits due to the gym’s 24-hour operation should flatten the parking pattern over a longer period. It is not believed that a gym would cause substantial noise from outside of the building."