Gym's change of use approved

Scott Beveridge, a Personal Trainer at Spartan Gym in Mayfield Industrial Estate

Spartan Gym launched in October last year, taking over an industrial unit which had been empty for 18 months.

Its retrospective application for change of use from general industry to leisure use had been objected by council officers in June, however,the decision was overturned recently by councillors on the Local Review Body.

Ludovico Rizza, Spartan Gym’s joint manager, said: “It had been an empty unit, but since we took it over it has been a success.

‘‘It’s a good group of people who train at the gym. It is quiet during the day but at night it’s quite busy. There are no issues with parking and there is a bus stop right outside.”

Landlord Douglas Slight told councillors he had struggled to let his five units at Mayfield Industrial Estate to any businesses in industry, and this particular unit had been advertised for over a year with “no interest at all”.

He praised the “success” of Spartan and said it ‘‘does nobody any good to have that unit lying empty”.

He added: “We would love a joiner or whatever to take it on but there just aren’t the people out there to take it on as an industrial unit.

‘‘This is a chance for five jobs to be kept, that for me is key.”

Councillors, who visited the site before the meeting, were full of praise for the fledgling business.

Cllr Colin Cassidy (SNP) said: “They are in the heart of the community and provide a service. We promotes health and well-being and if you are the landlord you don’t want an empty unit.”

Cllr Adam Montgomery (Lab) said: “What’s the difference between industry and not industry? 1If someone is employing people to me that’s an industry. It has been a success and it had been empty for a year beforehand, I don’t have an issue with this at all.”

Cllr Janet Lay-Douglas (Con) said: “They are building so many new houses up there it’s only fair that the growing number of residents living in the area have a chance to use a gym.”

Cllr Peter Smaill (Con) added: “If landlord and tenant are happy I don’t have a problem. I hope your business prospers.”

Councillors agreed to the change of use to that of the neighbouring trampoline and football centres at the estate.

They added a condition that if the gym leaves the unit it would revert back to general industry use.