London’s ‘first’ outdoor CrossFit gym secures permanent home after years in limbo

The decision comes more than four years after the Wandsworth gym’s removal from its original location was ordered

London’s ‘first’ outdoor CrossFit gym has finally been given permission to permanently open on the grounds of a rugby club, after more than 400 people wrote in to support the application.

Rosslyn Park FC has won approval to reinstall the gym, more than four years after Wandsworth Council took enforcement action against the club in 2022 for installing it in a different location without permission. The site is Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), on the borders of Roehampton and Barnes, which carries similar protection from inappropriate development as the green belt.

After losing an appeal against the enforcement notice in 2024 and removing the gym, the club applied to demolish an office building on the grounds to give the facility a new permanent home for members and the local community. It received 435 letters of support, with people describing the importance of the facility for their health, training, mental wellbeing and community network.

While waiting for a decision, one member said: “This proposal is about far more than a building. It is about protecting local jobs, supporting small businesses and providing a welcoming space where people can improve their physical and mental health.”

The application also received 47 objections, with residents raising concerns about noise, the impact on neighbouring homes, traffic and building on MOL.

Council officers have now ruled in favour of the club, approving the application with a set of conditions – including requirements for independent consultants to assess noise from the gym and for it to take action to make it quieter if needed.

More than half of the gym’s annual hours must also be used by the club’s rugby team to make sure it meets an exception allowing development on MOL involving building facilities that support outdoor sports.

The gym’s website says it is London’s first outdoor CrossFit gym and all of the classes it provides are suitable for beginners.

Planning documents said the gym will improve the club’s existing sports offer and improve access to training facilities for the wider community.

The documents said: “In its previous location, the gym was the principaltraining facility for the club’s playing members and in addition provided an important community-based training facility to approximately 120 non-members, split equally across men and women.

“In this capacity it made an important contribution to supporting the club’s financial viability.”

The gym has permission to open from 6am to 8pm on Mondays to Fridays, 8am to 11am on Saturdays and 9am to 11am on Sundays.

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