‘Archaic’ town planning laws are blocking gyms and facilitating bookies and fried chicken shops, says ukactive
by Matthew Campelli | 03 Mar 2017
Grey-Thompson said that fitness operators would breathe life into the high street
“Archaic” town planning laws are blocking fitness businesses from having impactful presences on English high streets which are “drowning in betting shops and fried chicken joints”, according to the chair of ukactive.
Talking at the fitness body’s Sweat conference, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said the government should plot a radical overhaul of regulations to make it easier for gyms and health clubs to reach more of the population.
England’s National Planning Policy Framework currently stipulates that gyms and leisure centres can only occupy Class D2 category buildings, whereas retail shops can occupy “far more abundant” Call A1 buildings – i.e. on the high street.
“Archaic planning laws currently make it easier to open takeaways and betting shops than businesses that make a positive contribution – economically, socially and physically – to the community,” said the Paralympic legend.
Calling for more flexible business rates for fitness companies, she added: “Fitness operators breathe life and vibrancy into high streets which are drowning in a sea of betting shops, fried chicken joints and empty shop windows that they have the ability to fill.”
Research by the Royal Society of Public Health has found unhealthy high streets are commonly linked to deprived areas and towns with a larger proportion of people suffering with ill health.
Areas in the North and the Midlands are among the worst affected.
ukactive Tanni Grey-Thompson gyms fitness health clubs09 Feb 2017
ukactive strengthens senior team with four appointments
26 Jan 2017
ukactive to hold boutique fitness workshop
15 Nov 2016
Baroness Grey-Thompson outlines case for leisure centre regeneration
09 Nov 2016
Tanni Grey-Thompson: Inactivity a ‘source of national embarrassment’
FEATURE: ukactive update – Making an impact
FEATURE: ukactive update – Getting things done
“Archaic” town planning laws are blocking fitness businesses from having impactful presences on English high streets which are “drowning in betting shops and fried chicken joints”, according to the chair of ukactive. Talking at the fitness body’s Sweat conference, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said the government should plot a radical overhaul of regulations to make it easier for gyms and health clubs to reach more of the population. England’s National Planning
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