East Cowes looks set to get its first gym after plans were given the green light by the council.
Gym facilities are to be added to the former Sixers York Avenue Garage on York Avenue.
In recent years, it has been turned into a community hub — swapping MOTs and oil changes for tattoos and coffees.
The former car showroom and garage, which closed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, is also home to a cafe, barber, tattoo parlour and self-storage area. Proposals to change the MOT and vehicle workshop area have been approved by the Isle of Wight Council.
Agent on behalf of the Sixers Group, Andrew White Planning Consultancy, said the garage space is ‘underutilised’ and there was ‘little or no prospect’ of MOTs being carried out there so the time was right to re-purpose the space.
The plans received wide support from the local community, with 1 resident commenting it would be a fantastic asset to the town and make exercise more accessible for residents that are not able to travel. Another local said it would help the community improve their health and fitness and create more jobs.
It also has the support of East Cowes Town Council. In their decision notice, Isle of Wight Council planning officers the gym would support the local economy if the existing motor workshop was not financially viable at the site. They also said this would allow local people to access high-quality and mixed classes as it would offer a more bespoke and tailored type of exercise facility and not be a membership/anytime type of gym.
An unnamed tenant has been lined up for the gym, offering small group and 1-to-1 fitness sessions.
As part of the planning permission, the council has stipulated the gym can only be open between 06:00 and 21:00, Mondays to Fridays; 08:00 to 19:00 on Saturdays and 10:00 to 19:00 on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
A small space is to remain for vehicle inspections and the cafe will be increased to allow for additional seating, a bigger food preperation area and improved toilet facilities.
Just somewhere for the towns growing chavs to gain more dim womb admirers for having a six pack but not using a three pack to gain a free home and income for life for doing nothing.
Another name change?
Baffling attitude to… err, let me check again what caused such an uproar… a gym? What the hell?
Great news, so now, we can have all those chavs, work out all day as no work to then beat the daylights out of people a little more easily.
IF people had real 40hr a week jobs they would not need such and be too tired to attend, but working a mere 16 hours a week and getting the rest made up in benefits, as they have ‘produced’ scattered clones in dim womb owners (for Mothers they are not) around the town is hardly too wearing.
People working 40h weeks do exercise just fine, lol.
That’s an old photo! Comicoffee left ages ago.
Any bets going as to how long it will be before the feral brat smack rats smash the windows, break into it, vandalize it,or set fire to it? A week may be? Especially if there is fags or booze in it. Too snorted and swilled to work out it’s for THEIR benefit.
There’s a cafe, barber shop, tattoo parlour there already and all is fine? And even crossfit in the park opposite.
And what’s the bests too, all the freeloading parasites will get free passes?
Cafe there has great breads on Friday but they sell out almost entirely by reservation with maaaybe just a few left at 8am opening time if you’re lucky.
Proper sordough bread, amazing thick and crunchy crust <3
(And they have great donuts – the traditional ones, not the Americanised version.)