‘Health and fitness centres are inherently low-impact uses during late-night and early-morning periods’
Riverside Leisure Club(Image: Google)
A Cardiff leisure centre is now allowed to operate 24 hours a day after consent from the city council. Riverside Leisure club in Splott has been granted permission to allow access to the public for 24 hours a day seven days a week after Cardiff Council agreed to dispose of a previous condition.
Previous planning permission given to the leisure centre contained a condition which read: “The premises shall not be open to the public or private members between 11.30pm and 6.30am.”
The reason given for this was “to ensure that the use of the premises does not prejudice the amenities of the area”. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
Now the club has successfully disposed of this condition to allow for full-time access to the public.
The application reads: “Health and fitness centres are inherently low-impact uses during late-night and early-morning periods.”
It continues: “Activity levels outside peak daytime and evening hours are typically limited with reduced visitor numbers and quieter forms of use.
“The premises has operated successfully as a leisure facility for many years and the proposed variation does not introduce any materially different use or intensity beyond that already established.”
The application acknowledged the reason for the former condition but argued that since the original permission, given in 2000, circumstances had changed.
Two of these changes are that “the surrounding area has continued to evolve as a mixed-use environment” and “modern management practices, building standards, and operational controls now allow 24-hour leisure uses to operate without undue impact”.
Other conditions like restrictions on amplified music and boundary treatments remain in place.
No changes are proposed to the existing parking and access arrangements.
The application reads: “Late-night and early-morning usage is expected to be spread over time with limited vehicle movements and no peak-hour congestion.
“This pattern aligns with typical 24-hour gym operations and does not result in highway or safety concerns.”
The application calls removing the previous condition a “modest and reasonable variation” that would “reflect modern operational practices for health and fitness facilities.”
It said it also represents a “sustainable and efficient use of an established leisure facility”.