Community leaders have welcomed progress on building a new gymnastics facility located on the former Grange School site in Warmley.
The newly refurbished building will be occupied by the popular Majestic Gymnastics this spring.
The new facility is a totally refurbished school hall and gym and is the first step in the delivery of a new sports hub for Warmley. As well as the gymnasium and a jump pit, the building also includes new changing facilities, a café and flexible space for other sport activities. There are also plans for additional sports pitches for football or rugby as well as netball facilities on the wider site.
South Gloucestershire Council’s Leader, Councillor Toby Savage, and Councillor Sam Bromiley, cabinet member responsible for children and young people, met representatives from Majestic on Monday 14 March to see how work on site was progressing ahead of the official opening.
Leader of South Gloucestershire Council Councillor Toby Savage said: “We’ve held a long-standing ambition to redevelop this brownfield site in Warmley and I am delighted that progress is being made to provide these excellent new sports facilities.
“We’ve been working hard to help Majestic Gymnastics Club find a new home and this new gym delivers the space and facilities the gymnasts need to reach their full potential.
“The regeneration of this site is a major investment into the heart of Warmley. The vision for this new community is for it to be socially inclusive, connected and complimentary to the wider area and offer a range of recreational opportunities and open spaces for the benefit of local people.”
The sports facilities are part of a £12 million regeneration project to replace the former school. A new bridge will also be built replacing an older structure at Tower Road North, which will deliver access improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.
Planning permission has recently been granted for a temporary access road which will enable the new bridge to be built and for access to be maintained to Digitech Studio School and the new gym during construction. The new bridge is aimed to be completed in early 2024.
The overall regeneration project of the wider site also includes a proposal for a residential scheme that if granted planning consent will deliver 150 new homes, including affordable housing.
Majestic Gymnastics Club’s directors Michelle George and Candice Littleton said: “This is a very exciting opportunity for the club and all our gymnasts. The new venue will have more of a hub feel with coaches training to be more inclusive and be able to offer a variety of sessions from baby yoga to freestyle gymnastics.
“The building has a new roof, top of the range heating systems and a new podium which will include pits. This set up will allow our programme to expand and offer more progression opportunities for our recreational gymnasts through to our National gymnasts.
“We are excited to be building relationships with schools on the site to offer a wider curriculum based programme and fully inclusive sessions. The coaches have all been working on their own CPD interests and passions and are hoping to gain a head start of being able to implement some exciting new courses.
“We are so thankful to the council and public for the support we have received in providing a forever home.”
The wider scheme will develop over a project timeline up to 2028 and has a total budget of £12 million. Grant and developer contributions as well as phasing of the scheme reduce immediate outgoings for the council, which is contributing £3.84m. External funding streams so far include £4.65m from Homes England and £2.02m from the Brownfield Land Release Fund via the West of England Combined Authority’s (WECA) One Public Estate programme. Boosted S106 developer contributions of £1.375m are also expected from the developers of Majestic Gymnastics’ previous location.
