Plans for 'modern' gym at Priors Way industrial estate approved despite objections

The Royal Borough has approved plans for a large ‘modern’ gym at a former film studio in Priors Way despite objections.

A vacant industrial space – previously used for filming – at Unit 6, Priors Way, will be turned into a ‘modern fitness facility’.

The plans for the gym proved controversial after a similar application for the site sparked objections from residents and Bray Parish Council over parking and traffic pressure concerns.

The application was withdrawn in August last year due to a ‘lack of appropriate documentation in terms of the wider economical assessment’.

AC Design Solution, the applicant’s agent, resubmitted plans for a ‘premium fitness facility’ called Muscle Massacre in the trade park.

Over 130 pieces of fitness equipment have been promised for customers, such as heavy strength training machines, cardiovascular equipment zones, free weight areas and specialised functional training equipment.

Muscle Massacre will be open from 6am to 11pm.

The early opening ‘avoids’ the school travel times, whilst the closing time avoids late-night activity that ‘might generate noise or disturbance’, planning documents said.

Around 10 to 15 full-time staff members will work at the gym, including personal trainers.

The applicant said it would have ‘generous servicing arrangements’ including eight parking spaces and loading facilities.

But Bray Parish Council recommended the plans be refused once again because of ‘insufficient on-site parking’ and the additional pressure on parking this would create in the local area.

Residents also lodged their objections to the proposed gym, raising concerns over parking, increased traffic, and noise pollution.

A comment said: “Due to the extreme lack of parking, many gym-goers would likely have to walk to the gym.

“It would be inconvenient and potentially unsafe for gym-goers to navigate through the industrial estate without proper pedestrian access.”

The highway authority also said eight parking spaces are a ‘parking shortfall’ that would be ‘detrimental to both highway and pedestrian safety’.  It requested additional information around this.

A transport plan was subsequently submitted to address these concerns.

It sets out how the gym would only have around 80 memberships, unlike a ‘typical private gym’.

This would limit the number of daily customers, according to the transport plan.