Ellon fitness firm presses ahead after council blunder
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A fitness firm are pressing ahead with their plans to open a new gym in Ellon next week – after it was refused by councillors.
Arena Strength and Fitness Gym lodged an application with Aberdeenshire Council last year to create the facility inside an area of unused storage space to the rear of Greens of Ellon.
The proposal initially went before the Formartine area committee in January.
Councillors asked to defer it in order to get more information to address concerns about parking and road safety.
However the plan was considered by members for a second time the following month and after a vote, the gym was refused.
But after a council systems blunder, the gym owners were issued with an approval notice instead.
Since then, work on the Schoolhill Road gym has been moving forward.
After noting the mistake, Aberdeenshire Council sent an order to the gym owners last month revoking planning permission.
The matter has now gone to the Scottish Government for consideration.
But despite this, the gym is scheduled to open for good next Monday.
It will also open its doors this weekend to give residents a sneak peek of the new facility.
As the application received the backing of council officers, the gym’s owners say they are “confident” the decision will not be overturned.
Eben van Wyk of Arena Strength and Fitness Gym said: “We have been issued with a revocation order which we appealed.
“The council’s reasons for refusal are possible noise and increase in traffic, for which both were addressed in the material evidence however ignored.
“The Environmental Health officer has visited the site and was satisfied with the noise reduction measures we have taken.
“The roads development department also had no issue with our application as per their report.
“However, should the reporter decide to support the revocation order, we can still appeal the council’s decision which we will do should that be the case.”
An Aberdeenshire Council spokeswoman confirmed the approval notice had been sent by mistake.
She said: “The planning application for a gym on Schoolhill Road in Ellon was rejected by the Formartine Area Committee.
“However subsequently, due to a systems error, the applicants were issued with an approval notice.”
The spokeswoman added: “The council has now applied to the Scottish Government for a revocation of the planning permission and we await further communication from the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division, as decision maker, to progress.”
