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A petition has been set up to keep Rhymney’s only gym from having to move or close as part of a wider bid to create a “better vision” for the town. 

Alison Jones, 75, from Rhymney, started the petition around three weeks ago to keep Fit4Living in its current premises, the Buchan building.

Currently, it faces having to move to new premises or closing permanently due to a proposed Linc Cymru housing development.

According to the current plans, the historical Buchan building is set to be partly retained and converted, but the wider Whitbread centre will be demolished for 27 homes and a dedicated children’s home.

Alison spoke to Caerphilly Observer about the petition, which already has more than 500 signatures. 

“I knew the gym has been a success and people use it,” she said.

“I think Rhymney has lost such a lot over the years,” Alison added, “the town is already recognised as being deprived.”

The petition is available to sign across Rhymney, including at the gym and Ael-y-Bryn community centre. It says keeping the Buchan building as a gym is a “necessity” given it promotes fitness, health and wellbeing and is in a central location.  

It adds the building is the “last remaining” of historical significance in Rhymney and that developing it into private accommodation, while removing facilities, creates an environment where no one can “thrive”. 

Alison isn’t a gym-goer but sees the redevelopment as part of an ongoing problem in Rhymney, which she recently outlined in a letter sent to Christina Harrhy, chief executive of Caerphilly County Borough Council, in March. 

Alison said: “I wanted the chief executive to have a picture of what the town has become,” describing it as a place with an ongoing influx of people without the facilities needed. 

Though the original plan was to send the petition to the council too, Alison now intends to submit it during the next public meeting and possibly send it to the planning department. 

In response to the petition, Caerphilly County Borough Council said: “As we have stated previously, this is a private gym in a building that is not owned by the council. Any future development on that site by a third party would be subject to the appropriate planning process etc.

“The council would be happy to offer any support in terms of helping to identify available units or other premises in the area, should they need to relocate.”

For Alison, however, there is a wider scope of responsibility that rests with the local authority, including a duty of care over people’s wellbeing – which would be impacted without access to a gym. 

The redevelopment of the gym is seen as more than a loss by Alison – it’s a missed opportunity as she sees potential for it to be part of a wider wellbeing zone, which would include the nearby tennis courts.

“There needs to be a vision, a better vision for Rhymney,” said Alison, “This building [the Buchan], which is still here with us, could be part of that vision”.

Importantly, this would also mean that somewhere of historical significance remained in the hands of the community.

“Having a plaque on the building isn’t going to mean anything,” said Alison, “for just 12 occupants…a community loses something that’s important to them.”

‘Let us have this’

Allyson Power, 65, lives in Rhymney and has signed the petition. 

Allyson regularly uses the gym and sees it as a unique place where everyone in the town can come together. 

“Myself and others residents in the area and not just Rhymney…are adamant we want to keep the gym.

“I don’t know anywhere else where children from ages of roughly 13 to people well into their pension age can socialise together.”

The gym has personally helped Allyson, who said: ”If it wasn’t for that place I would still be seriously overweight and very unfit.”

Allyson is calling for people to contact anyone they think can help from councillors to MPs and the NHS. 

She also wants input from other areas of the borough and said:  “Can I ask as well that people who live further down the valley help us?

“Because if this goes we’re going to be encroaching on their area and using facilities they’ve got which are already cramped.”

Allyson added that people from anywhere were “welcome” to come and use the gym but added, “Let us have this”.

Judith Morgan, who runs Fit4Living, knows about the petition and said both Alison, the organiser, and the community response have been “fantastic”.

“We’ve had a great response from people who don’t even use the gym and want to keep facilities like this within the community,” said Judith. 

She added: “We’ve got to try all avenues because we are grasping at straws at the minute,” adding that there are “few” commercial buildings which are suitable replacements.

For Judith, keeping the gym in the Buchan building would be a “win-win”.

Chris Monk, Project Manager at Linc, said: “We understand the importance of the gym for the local community.

“When Linc purchased the Buchan Building and Whitbread Centre site, we were keen that the gym would be able to continue utilising the space while we developed our plans and engaged with local residents. 

“Since then, we have worked alongside Judith to help in her search to find an alternative space and offer our continued support in this going forward. 

“Our plans for the Buchan Building and Whitbread Centre site are designed to provide much-needed high-quality, affordable homes in the area. We plan to hold our next consultation event at the end of May. 

“We will present more detailed designs for the proposed homes and we’ll share how we plan to retain and convert the existing Buchan building. We appreciate the heritage of the building and have plans to give it a new lease of life.”

“The gym has already proved itself to be of such value in the community.”