PROPOSALS for the construction of a steel frame building for the use of a business to provide personal fitness training to clients has been refused by Cornwall Council amid fears over its impact on the landscape.

Mr and Mrs Woodgate applied to the local authority for permission to construct the building at Saffron Lodge, Higher Downgate, Callington.

The site was described as: “The application site consists of a field associated with (but outside the curtilage of) Saffron Lodge. The application relates to the provision of a building in which to provide personal training services, falling within Use Class E(d). The applicant has indicated that they currently have a unit in the industrial estate in Kelly Bray. However, due to increased costs they wish to construct and use the proposed building instead. The applicant lives in Saffron Lodge.”

In their application, Mr Woodgate told the local authority: “I'm a local fitness professional and gym owner.

“I have been involved in group coaching/ Personal training and exercise rehabilitation for the past 16 years. Primary health care is my passion. I currently operate in the Florence Road Business Park, Kelly Bray and have delivered strength and conditioning services from here since early 2018.

“In this time, I have carried out thousands of conditioning sessions working with all ages (from 8 years to 70 + years). I'm in constant communication with other local businesses like exercise physio's/ therapists where our main aim is not just to promote an active healthy lifestyle but also to rehabilitate locals post operation and injury back to a pain free life.

“My goal moving forward is to be able to continue offering these Personal Training services to the community in a sustainable manner. Currently we are paying an uncapped rent which has increased since reopening (post lockdowns).

“With increasing utilities and increased monthly rent our goal is to build (to a smaller scale) for exactly what we need. Solar panels will be installed on the build to reduce energy cost and to be more self-sufficient long term.

“Working from home will reduce my carbon footprint. I currently make various daily commutes in and out of the Business Park. The security of having the business closer to home would bring us peace of mind also.

“My clients all live within a couple of miles, it’s very convenient to reach us by bike or car. Currently the Business Park is very busy. In terms of safety and practicality it's not suitable to carry out any exercise outside. Our field would be the ideal setting (especially in summer) to get people moving outdoors as well.

‘The proposal is not for anything like a commercial gym with loud music and reliant on huge membership turnover. This is a Personal Training Studio where individuals can book an appointment to see me. It's an educational environment where people can learn how to utilize strength and conditioning/ functional exercises to stay strong and healthy for longer.

“The unit we currently occupy is a sought-after space for a new local business. A successful application won't just free up space for another business, it will give us the security to operate and continue to promote health and fitness for the foreseeable future.”

An application to convert a workshop into living accommodation at the site in 2017 was refused, while an application for the change of use and extension to a stable to provide a dwelling was approved in 2018.

Callington Town Council said it supported the scheme, and after being contacted by Cornwall Council’s planning department under the ‘five-day protocol’ to be informed that the council’s planning officer was set to recommend refusal, the council opted to ‘agree to disagree’ with the recommendation, meaning that it maintained its support.

However, Cornwall Council said that the plans for the location were not appropriate and thus opted to refuse, stating: “By reason of its scale, location in the open countryside and unsustainable location, the proposal would result in inappropriate development, harming the vitality, viability of and potential investment within nearby towns and the character of the rural area through proliferation of development.”

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