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