The proposals were rejected over concerns it would be ‘inappropriate’ for the local artistic community as Blackhorse Lane is part of a ‘Creative Enterprise Zone’, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans to turn a warehouse unit into a gymnastics academy have been refused by Waltham Forest Council.
Proposals were put forward in July to convert a storage facility in Blackhorse Lane, but were rejected over concerns it would be “inappropriate” for the local artistic community.
The applicant, Over Gravity Gymnastics, describes itself as “one of the UK’s premier gymnastics clubs,” providing a training centre for “those just discovering the joy of gymnastics to performers seeking to refine their art”.
It offers group classes, private lessons, open sessions, workshops and training programmes.
It had already listed Unit B, 101 Blackhorse Lane as its next home on its official website, in a notice informing members it would be moving in the coming autumn.
However, the road is part of a designated Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ), with a focus on artists and creative businesses. The scheme was launched by the Mayor of London in 2021 in a bid to provide them with ‘affordable’ spaces.
The council’s planning department refused the plans on 21st August, around six weeks after they were submitted.
A planning officer decided it would be an “inappropriate use” of the location, which would “cause harm to the future” of Blackhorse Lane.
The ‘Blackhorse Collective’ zone was established in 2023 in recognition of its “high quality” businesses, “rich history” of creativity, and potential for growth, the council says. It is home to Blackhorse Workshop and the Big Creative Training Campus, as well as various taprooms and eateries.
In documents submitted to the council, Over Gravity Gymnastics said it hoped to bring the industrial unit back into active use, after it has sat empty for 15 months.
The centre – open seven days a week – would have created eleven new jobs, employing five full-time staff members and six part-time.
A representative wrote: “The proposed gymnastics training centre is a unique facility, which would enhance the social infrastructure and sporting facilities in the borough, aiding both physical and mental health.”
It would also require a “large, uninterrupted space” with a high ceiling, which made an industrial unit the “most appropriate form of building”.
In its application, the company makes reference to the council’s designation of Blackhorse Lane as a ‘locally significant industrial site,’ as well as a CEZ.
It added it was “not uncommon” to find gyms set amongst industrial areas, and pointed to the nearby CrossFit Walthamstow in Priestley Way and Yonder Climbing Centre in Hooker’s Road.
This did not convince the planning department, who decided it would “result in the loss of an appropriate use” of the unit.
Over Gravity Gymnastics will be able to appeal the decision to the planning inspectorate, if the applicants believe the refusal goes against Waltham Forest’s planning policy. The window for appeals is six months from the planning authority’s decision.
The business is currently based in Hancock Road, in Bromley-by-Bow.
It was founded in 2018 by Davide Buzzi and Matteo Cara, and employs a range of coaches that specialise in flexibility, screen combat training, callisthenics, and children’s gymnastics.
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