Lambeth Council's Planning Applications Committee has granted temporary planning permission for a community gym and outreach centre to operate from units within the Mahatma Gandhi Industrial Estate. The decision, made on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, allows the Block Workout Foundation (BWF), also known as the Brixton Street Gym, to use Units 3 and 4 for a period of two years.
The approval represents a departure from Lambeth's Local Plan, which designates the site as a Key Industrial Business Area (KIBA) reserved for industrial and storage uses. However, officers highlighted significant material considerations that justified the temporary permission. These included the substantial public benefits provided by the BWF, which offers fitness sessions, mentoring, and community engagement for young people and disaffected communities, helping to build confidence and positive networks. The continuity of these services during the Somerleyton Road redevelopment was deemed a crucial factor. The BWF is currently based at 10 Somerleyton Road, which is slated for redevelopment. The Somerleyton Road Phase 2 development, which includes the permanent space for the gym, is expected to be completed by March 2030, with demolition and construction for Phase 2 anticipated to begin in August of the current year (2026).
The BWF's activities support health and wellbeing, community engagement, and positive opportunities for local residents, particularly young people aged 13-25 from deprived and disaffected communities. The organisation aims to foster a sense of community by bringing young people together who might not normally interact. During COVID-19, BWF delivered 48 free community sessions, engaged around 160 children and young people, provided 35 fully funded gym memberships, and hosted an annual community day for over 150 locals, all free of charge.
Officers acknowledged the conflict with the Local Plan's Policy ED3 but pointed to the substantial public benefits provided by the BWF. The temporary nature of the permission, limited to two years, and the condition that it is personal to the Block Workout Foundation were considered important mitigating factors. This ensures the site will revert to its industrial use after the two-year period and prevents other operators from benefiting from this specific permission.
Councillor Viktor Westerdahl proposed extending the temporary use to three and a half years, suggesting it would be more appropriate given the scale of the Somerleyton Road development. However, this amendment was not seconded and the committee voted unanimously to approve the original officer recommendation.
The conditions attached to the permission include the use being limited to the Block Workout Foundation for two years, adherence to approved management and acoustic reports, specific operating hours (08:00 to 22:00 Monday to Friday, and 08:00 to 16:00 on Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays, excluding Christmas Day and Boxing Day), and no car parking associated with the use of Units 3 and 4.
The BWF must adhere to the Community Use Management Plan, which details operational aspects, safeguarding, and community focus. This includes operating on a community-focused basis, providing structured fitness classes, personal training sessions, and youth outreach sessions in accordance with requisite safeguarding procedures. A designated Site Manager must be responsible for the day-to-day operation. The plan also covers delivery, servicing, refuse and recycling collection, parking, and cycle storage. Additionally, the BWF must comply with the recommendations in the Gym Acoustic Report to mitigate noise and vibration impacts, including adhering to a maximum permissible internal gym sound limit and ensuring heavy impact testing results comply with BS 6472 guidelines.
The proposed gym use is not expected to generate greater levels of noise or disturbance than the consented industrial or storage/distribution uses. Heavy impact testing complied with BS 6472 guidelines, and predicted noise breakout from the gym's facade is at least 10dB below the minimum ambient noise level. The Community Use Management Plan and recommended conditions will ensure that noise and vibration impacts are managed, and that users do not congregate in a manner that causes disturbance or obstructs access within the industrial estate. Deliveries and servicing are also not expected to generate routine movements that would cause disruption.
More information on the planning application can be found in the Public reports pack for the Tuesday, July 28, 2026, Planning Applications Committee meeting here.
