Gym owner who flouted lockdown rules to open new north Wales branch

Alec Doyle – Local democracy reporter

A fitness entrepreneur who gained national attention after keeping his business open through the Covid lockdowns has gained permission for a new gym.

Nicolas Whitcombe is the founder of Bodytech and his plan to open a new branch on Abenbury Way on Wrexham Industrial Park has been given the go-ahead by Wrexham Council’s Planning Committee.

Bodytech has gyms in Ellesmere Port and Winsford in Cheshire and Blackburn in Lancashire.

Well-being

Mr Whitcombe gained national attention when he was fined for keeping his original gym location in Moreton on the Wirral open during Covid lockdown – telling national news media that he took the decision for his members’ mental and physical well-being.

“Gyms should be supported in fighting against Covid obesity, mental health and many other conditions and diseases,” he told the BBC in one interview.

His plan to expand his growing gym network to Wrexham went before Wrexhan Council’s Planning Committee this week.

Committee chairman Cllr Mike Morris – whose Holt ward includes the proposed Abenbury Way site – raised concerns about parking issues in the area that are already causing problems with existing businesses.

“The community council did object to this and I have concerns as the local member,” he said. “That cul-de-sac off Abenbury Way has some activity there in the neighbouring units, including a van hire company and a hot food takeaway.

“That has already caused congestion due to the lack of parking in the area. I’m still not convinced that between 32 and 83 parking spaces for those businesses is sufficient for an area with very little public transport, but Highways seem convinced that it is.”

Concerns

Council officers told the committee that a study on similar gym locations showed peak traffic times were early in the morning and after 5pm – outside of the operating hours of neighbouring businesses. As a result they had no concerns over parking capacity at the site.

But Cllr Stella Matthews challenged officers’ assertion – claiming that to remain viable, the gym would need a flow of customers throughout the day, exacerbating parking issues.

“No gym could survive if it only had clients in first thing in the morning or after 5pm,” said Cllr Matthews. “There will be classes all day, things on for mums, there will be a constant flow of customers. There will be constant parking and that needs to be taken into account.”

Their concerns were not enough to sway the committee however, which approved the plan.