'We're trying to bring people together in the love of fitness' - New gym gets approval for Oswestry
A gym focussed on strength training, Olympic weightlifting and general fitness has been granted approval to open in Oswestry.
Proposals for the new venue, planned to be hosted in newly-built units at Mile House Farm in Oswestry, were submitted to Shropshire Council in March.
Unity4 Performance director Dan Sissons said the new gym, which is set to open to the wider public later this year, will focus on "small group and results driven training", with the aim of creating a community feel which could be lacking in other venues in the town.
"We saw a gap in Oswestry - there's a few gyms that offer essentially rent, you pay monthly and you rent their space and equipment," he told the Shropshire Star at the time of the application.
"What we do differently is every session is coach-led, so we'll have a maximum of around ten people per session with a coach where everything is pre-planned and pre-programmed.
"You don't need to know anything, you don't need any experience whatsoever, everything is coached and taken forward. We're trying to build a supportive community which is a bit more than a gym, just to bring people together in the love of fitness."
Former north Wales rugby player Dan had to retire from the sport after a knee injury, before moving into cross-fit competitions to continue his passion for training and competition.
"I originally came from rugby but I tore my ACL so I transitioned into weightlifting, but I still missed that community aspect of rugby. We wanted to bring that in because I think it's really important for people to work out and celebrate success together," he added.
In his application form, Mr Sissons said: “The proposed use will focus on health, fitness, and wellbeing services, offering small-group strength and conditioning sessions, personal training, and Olympic weightlifting classes.”
On Monday, planning officers granted full planning permission for the new gym.
In an officer's report, a planning official wrote that the applicant had submitted “adequate justification for the use on the site, detailing that there are no suitable, available, or viable premises within the town centre or edge-of-centre zones offering the necessary space, layout, and parking required for a weightlifting facility”.
The officer added: “It is understood that the proposed gym is a new business and is not the relocation of an established facility."
Around four jobs are set to be created by the new business.
The applicant has three years to open the gym under the conditions of the planning permission.
