A GYM will finally be allowed to officially open its doors earlier after plans were backed by the city council after a long dispute over whether it would open 24-hours-a-day.

The plan by Anytime Fitness, who took over from P2F Health Club in Diglis, to open from 6am to 11pm seven-days-a-week was backed by Worcester City Council last week.

The approval of the plan comes after a number of objections from neighbours who feared it would open 24-hours-a-day.

The rebrand by Anytime Fitness originally promised gym members a 24-hour service which raised concerns from residents in Diglis.

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The gym, when owned by P2F Health Club and now by Anytime Fitness, had already been opening at 6am despite only having permission to open from 8am.

Anytime Fitness backed down over its plan to open 24-hours-a-day after meeting with residents in July and instead submitted a plan to open between 6am and 11pm.

The planning application was called in by Cllr Lynn Denham due to “significant concerns” by residents after which Worcester City Council’s planning committee agreed to the proposal.

Grahame Turner, speaking on behalf of his son who lived above the gym, said the previous gym owners had been operating outside the hours it had permission for, which had not caused any major problems, and most residents were unaware the previous operator had been doing so.

Mr Turner said the rebrand had caused a “huge amount of backlash” amongst residents but there was still some support.

Mr Turner said much of the noise in the gym before the rebrand was masked by carpet but the new gym was a “concrete box” which was noisier.

He also disputed the proposed economic benefit of opening for longer as Anytime Fitness planned to open longer but staff for it less hours.

A number of proposals to reduce noise, which included adding rubber feet to furniture to stop it scrapping on the floor and additional flooring under treadmills to reduce noise, were included in the plan which the gym would have to stick to.

A number of residents had objected to the extending hours when the planning application was submitted.

A resident in Bevington Court said the change in opening time was part of a "thin end of a wedge" which would ultimately lead to the gym opening 24-hours-a-day.

The council’s planning committee backed the plans at a meeting on October 24.