Gymnastics club could shut after relocation blow
Warning Phoenix may not rise again after loan is refused
The Phoenix Gymnastics Club is on the verge of closure after over 40 years of operation in the borough, writes Adrian Williams.
The club based in Water Oakley has been refused a loan application that would allow it to construct a new purpose-built facility in Fifield.
The club said this is due to the 'restrictive nature' of the planning consent.
According to Phoenix, the planning conditions state that the building can only be used for gymnastic training and the bank felt that this severely impacted the value of the completed gym.
The club’s proposed move to Fifield has caused controversy in recent years.
The new site was set to be built on land north of Longlea nursing home – but plans faced opposition from residents citing ‘critical’ flooding levels in the region.
The gym was given more than 30 separate conditions for its planning consent – eventually granted in 2016 after a ‘hard fought battle’.
After this, the gym faced the tall order of raising £1.8m to build the new facility. Though it managed to raise more than £700,000, it was still left with a shortfall of more than £1m.
Its current Water Oakley site is on the verge of redevelopment. The club was allowed to hang on for an extra year by the landlord, but Phoenix now needs to vacate by the beginning of May.
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With no alternative site available, the outlook ‘looks bleak’ for the club that had a pre-COVID footfall of 1,000 children a week.
Potential alternative sites have been deemed either unsuitable, unaffordable or lacking in adequate parking facilities.
Chair of trustees Alisdair Thornton said: “It’s absolutely devastating that despite being as profitable as we have ever been, and having successfully weathered the worst pandemic in recent times, such a popular and loved youth sports club should be allowed to fail due to a single planning condition.
“We can afford to service a loan but no one will lend to us due to the notional re-sale value of the completed building.”
Lynn Bushell, Phoenix centre director added: “Despite being a registered charity [we] have stood on our own two feet whilst providing top class gymnastics training to thousands of borough children.
“We have previously received very little in the way of grants from RBWM, but now we need help and our last hope is that local and central government will step in and provide a lifeline for our wonderful facility and help us build a home for the next 125 years.”
The gym provides nationallevel professional gymnastics coaching, recreational gymnastics for children aged 18 months up and a daily PlayGym for babies, toddlers and their carers. If it closes it will lose out on a £450 000 grant pledged by Sport England and will have to reroute £200,000’s worth of charitable donations.
Cllr David Coppinger, lead member for planning and Bray ward councillor, said: “It’s an absolute disaster for them and for so many children in the borough and outside. We can help, but we don’t have the sort of money that they want because our budget is now committed and that doesn’t give us any leeway.
“We’re looking at our two leisure centres to see if these could be of any use, but that isn’t what they want – they want their own building, as they need more space.”
He added that with COVID causing more organisations to cease using their premises, there is a chance something will open up for the Phoenix in the future.
“We’re talking to our contacts to see if anything can be done. I just hope that between us all we can find some premises for them,” he said.