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Basingstoke Couple Ordered to Remove Driveway Gym After Parking Dispute

Council refusal over precedent concerns means the gym must be removed within six months

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Overview

  • Paul Willis and Emma Woodley erected a single-storey gym on one of their two allocated driveway spaces without seeking prior planning permission
  • Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council denied their retrospective application, warning that approval could encourage similar developments and worsen estate parking shortages
  • Neighbours complained the gym would force vehicles onto the road, creating blind-spot hazards for drivers and pedestrians
  • The couple contend they use unallocated nearby spaces and warn that tearing down the tens-of-thousands-pound structure will jeopardise Mr Willis’s personal-training income
  • Facing a six-month compliance deadline, they are exploring relocating the gym to their garden or converting the outbuilding into a garage