A Norfolk council has supported plans to extend a gym’s car park which is struggling to cope with an increasing number of visitors following the closure of a nearby leisure centre.
The Marina Centre in Great Yarmouth shut last week to make way for a new multi-million pound fitness complex which has placed additional pressures on surrounding leisure centres.
A report presented to Great Yarmouth Borough councillors at a meeting at the Town Hall on Thursday night highlighted that Phoenix Pool & Gym in Bradwell was one of the centres affected by the closure.
Former members of the Marina Centre, which was run Sentinel Leisure Trust, have been forced use other fitness complexes operated by the leisure trust which includes Phoenix Pool & Gym.
The gym's car park has just 63 parking spaces and is often "clogged" with users double parking and blocking nearby driveways.
At the full council meeting, the authority was warned footfall was set to increase in the coming months and fears were raised about the safety of pedestrians who will use the car park.
A number of options for expanding the gym's car park have been explored but only one viable option has been identified.
Councillors voted in favour of plans which will see an overflow car park developed around the back of the site.
They also allocated funding of up to £130,000 for the project.
A planning application will be submitted by the council once final specifications are confirmed.
The proposals will create up to 40 additional spaces for visitors to use during peak hours of 3.30pm to 8.30pm.
Although the land where the new car parking spaces are proposed currently belongs to Lynn Grove Academy, the school has agreed to lease the land to the council in return for students having agreed access to the site.
Visitors to Phoenix Pool & Gym have previously been encouraged to walk or cycle to the centre to ease car park pressures but extending the site is now seen as the only viable solution.
The project will be overseen by Great Yarmouth Borough Council's partnership board.
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