A Hove gym can open earlier after convincing councillors that it would not be a noise nuisance to neighbours.
Brighton and Hove City Council’s Planning Committee had been advised to refuse a planning application from Hove Fitness Club to allow its indoor facilities to open from 6am to 10pm daily.
But members unanimously approved the application after hearing from company director Lucille Egan, 56.
Existing planning conditions restricted the site, at 2 St Heliers Avenue, Hove, from operating before 7am and after 7.15pm.
Last year a similar application was refused. It would have permitted the same hours in its indoor facilities plus an 8am start on the outdoor tennis courts and hours of 8am to 8pm daily for the terrace.
There were eight objections, 39 letters of support and a 13-page petition with details redacted on the council website. Ms Egan said that it was signed by 510 supporters.
Ms Egan said that the proposals were modest and reasonable for the business that Hove Fitness took over in 2024.
She said that many other gyms in the area opened at 6am or earlier and there were 24-hour gyms in residential areas across Brighton and Hove.
She said: “The simple fact is that many residents train and work there and the current restrictions, if enforced, will prevent us opening and severely impact our business.”
She was worried about whether the firm could survive there because it risked losing members.
Noise monitoring found that activity inside the building at 6am would generate sound at approximately 50 decibels, equivalent to light rain or the hum from a fridge.
The Labour council leader Bella Sankey, who represents Wish ward, made a late representation supporting the early opening hours.
Councillor Sankey said in a statement: “This would seem a reasonable application to me given that people tend to want to use gyms first thing in the morning and the removal of the (previous) terrace issue.
“Can the amenity impact and the criteria that will be used in assessing the application to vary the condition for 6am to 10pm opening times be more specific?”
Councillors established that the most recent noise complaint was made about music played on a tennis court for 45 minutes last summer.
Ms Egan said that the business had taken action and stopped the noise as soon as it received a complaint.
Green councillor Kerry Pickett said that she lived near a gym that opened at 6am without bothering people.
Councillor Pickett said: “I don’t entirely understand what the issue is here. My feeling is that the gym owners are doing everything they can to mitigate noise and not upset the neighbours.”
Labour councillor Sam Parrott said that she went to her gym at 5.30am and was not aware of any complaints from neighbours.
Councillor Parrott said: “I’m struggling to get my head around why we are having a (recommendation of) refusal on this, given that the last complaint was nine months ago. And that was around a very specific event.
“If you took those complaints out around a very specific events, we’re talking about complaints that are a significant amount of time away.”
Brighton and Hove Independent councillor Mark Earthey and Labour suggested asking for a new noise assessment.
Labour councillor Paul Nann, a member of the Planning Committee who also represents Wish ward, left the meeting at Hove Town Hall on Wednesday (1 April) before the item was discussed.
And fellow Labour councillor Alison Thomson, who chairs the Planning Committee, said that he was a member of Hove Fitness so did not take part in the debate either.
