New ‘women's only' gym proposed for Regent Street, Greenock

A NEW personal training studio for women is being proposed in central Greenock by a young mum.

Planning permission has been requested to convert the glazier’s building at 55 Regent Street into a fitness facility for women.

Applicant Sophi Binnie runs Do It All Coaching and is seeking to repurpose the space into a private training studio that serves women and young girls.

Rebecchi Architectural prepared the application on behalf of applicant. The planning application was submitted on Wednesday, January 21.

In a statement to Inverclyde planning officers, Ms Binnie said: "I am a young single mother, teacher and personal trainer who has grown my fitness coaching business significantly over the past year.

"This application represents the next step in establishing a sustainable, professional space where I can continue to support my clients.

"The studio is intended to be a safe, private, and supportive environment for women and young girls, particularly those who may feel anxious or uncomfortable in large commercial gyms."

Currently, the shop is classified under Class 1A, the designation given to retail spaces. Ms Binnie wants to change it to Class 11, which includes use for assembly and leisure purposes.

The proposed studio would not be open to the public and would operate by appointment only with no drop-in sessions.

The application confirms that no changes are being proposed to public access routes or to the existing parking arrangements at the site.

Additionally, the shop will not require any new or altered water supply or drainage arrangements.

Hours of operation would be Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm and weekends from 10am to 2pm.

Client sessions would be staggered to minimise foot traffic and reduce any impact on the surrounding area.

A decision on the application is currently pending.

To view the application in full, you can go to Inverclyde Council's planning portal, and search the reference 26/0018/IC.