Issue - meetings

Petition - David Lloyd Health and Fitness Centre

Meeting: 17/06/2021 - Executive (Item 5)

5 Petition - David Lloyd Health and Fitness Centre EXE21-048 pdf icon PDF 66 KB

Reporting Person – Peter Bryant

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Azad, reported that a petition had been submitted in accordance with the Council’s scheme for dealing with petitions, requesting that the Council retain the David Lloyd Health and Fitness Centre in Kingfield.

The petition contained 104 confirmed signatures and 5 unconfirmed signatures in the following terms:

We the undersigned petition Woking Borough Council to Keep David Lloyd private health and fitness club in Kingfield and off Greenfield land at Egley Road.

Woking Borough Council, as landowner and leaseholder of David Lloyd club in Kingfield and landowner at the proposed new site at Egley Road, we, members of David Lloyd and /or local Woking residents, implore you to keep David Lloyd in Kingfield for the following reasons and not terminate their lease:

David Lloyd does not need to move. It is newly refurbished with state of the art Blaze studios and new courts. The move is purely to facilitate an over-development of Kingfield, in the interests of Woking FC and not David Lloyd members (over 3k).

-        It provides great amenity value for the residents of South Woking and beyond who walk as well as drive to the club.

-        The new Greenfield site at Egley cannot be justified as the best use of this land, whilst also being right next to Woking Council's own Sport Box new gym.

-        It will displace a significant amount of traffic/cars to Egley Road as the club has over 3000 members. This is not environmentally friendly as almost all members will have to drive to the Egley road location.

-        The proposed new facilities are not in the majority of the members best interests as there are fewer tennis courts and a likely membership fee hike.

Thank you for your consideration.”

The Leader welcomed the Petitioner, Mr Jeremy Instone, to the meeting.  The Petitioner spoke in support of the petition.  Discussion ensued on the development agreement between the Council and GolDev signed on 30 January 2019 and which had been published on the website.  In light of the decision made by the Planning Committee and defended recently by the Council at appeal, the Executive noted the petition and acknowledged that it would be contrary to the opinion of many residents if the David Lloyd move were to happen.  However, the Council was only the landowner at David Lloyd and could not stop the club or those controlling it from seeking to move and/or applying for permissions in the future.  Additionally, it could not make a recommendation that any agreements previously entered into should be broken.

RESOLVED

That  (i)    in light of the decision made by the Planning Committee and defended recently by the Council at appeal, the Executive notes the petition and acknowledges that it would be contrary to the opinion of many residents if the David Lloyd move were to happen; and

          (ii)   however, the Council is only the landowner at David Lloyd and cannot stop the club or those controlling it from  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5