Edinburgh branch of The Gym Group to open at Meadowbank retail park as plans to transform shops submitted

Plans for a new 24-hour mega gym at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Shopping Park could see three units transformed.

Proposals have been submitted by The Gym Group to turn Barnardo's charity shop, Pound Stretcher and a vacant unit at the retail park into a ground and first floor gym, ahead of the leases coming up for review. The popular fitness group which offers ‘low cost and flexible’ facilities said the plans to amalgamate the three units could give a new lease of life to the popular shopping park, after the recent closure of the M&S outlet and TK Maxx.

The gym’s main floor space would be across the current Poundstretcher shop, which only adjoins Buzz Bingo at the lower level. It’s claimed the 1,343 square metres gym would create a more “leisure focused area” of the park. In a planning statement the applicant said: "The Gym provides a high quality but low cost option for health and fitness activity. The operation includes a range of cardio-vascular (rowing, running, cycling, etc) and resistance (weights) equipment.

"The nature of the operation limits the requirement for music to be played within the premises, with music limited as members prefer to use personal music players. Audio equipment is separated around the premises to avoid ‘hotspots’ of noise generation. Members cannot interfere with either the content or volume of the audio visual equipment which is controlled within staff only areas. It is considered that the proposed use on a 24 hour basis would not have an unacceptable impact on the amenities of surrounding occupiers or the environment within the local area.”

The group said the new gym would plug a gap in gym facilities in the east of the city. It follows the opening of the new Meadowbank sports centre, which replaced the former stadium. Several new residential and student developments are also set to transform the area, with plans for 630 units and a hotel.

The Gym group operates over 200 gyms across the UK at present, including existing Edinburgh premises in the city centre at Waterloo Place, Corstorphine Retail Park, and in Cameron Toll and Murrayfield, as well as 6 operations in Glasgow and facilities in Ayr, Dundee, Hamilton, Kilmarnock and Perth.