A neighbour row has come to the boil after a string of noise complaints from nearby residents have threatened to close a personal trainer's gym.
Glen Jepson, 38, faces having to shut his business, SKWAT, in the Hampshire village of Dibden Purlieu after neighbours claimed loud music could be heard coming from his gym.
In 2019, the 38-year-old former Royal Navy Engineer converted a detached garage near the back of his home into a £125,000 gym to provide sessions to clients one-on-one.
Despite receiving glowing reviews from customers who say SKWAT is a "lifeblood" for the community, his elderly neighbours have said they cannot hear their television over the sound of "deep, monotonous bass beats".
The numerous complaints saw Mr Jepson on the receiving end of a visit from a New Forest District Council official
|The complaints saw Mr Jepson on the receiving end of a visit from a New Forest District Council official, who told him to seek retrospective planning permission for the building's transformation to a gym.
The 38-year-old said he now fears his "personal circumstances" and "livelihood" will be badly affected if he were to be forced to close the workout space down.
After Mr Jepson submitted his planning application, local residents and clients have locked horns over the retrospective proposal.
One, Jennifer Croxson, argued the workout space is "completely inappropriate for a quiet, residential cul-de-sac".
She fumed: "The deep, monotonous bass beats are still detectable as a feeling through the body making it unpleasant to sit outside when certain gym sessions are taking place."
Mr Jepson's neighbour, Susan Harvey, said that while she believes the community is served well by these types of businesses, the site in the cul-de-sac is "not suitable".
Ms Harvey wrote: "Every evening, and in fact multiple times a day we are subjected to loud music which we can hear over our television from two houses away.
"My husband and I are both in our 80's and our television is not quiet, but the music coming from this gym drowns it out as it is at an unacceptable level."
However, the gym owner's application has received the staunch backing of over 70 locals and clients.
Dibden resident Chloe Jones labelled the business as "a fantastic asset to the local community".
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Ms Jones, who has used the studio since 2020, wrote: "The music has always been considerate and respectful and is always lowered when the doors are opened for [the] beginning or end of classes."
Mr Jepson assured that SKWAT's sound system is "pre-set to a maximum volume below legal thresholds" and that the volume is turned down before and after classes take place.
The 38-year-old added that he will do "whatever I can do to fight to make the business stay" because the business is his "passion".
He said: "Since its establishment, SKWAT has grown into a valued and well-utilised community asset.
The 38-year-old added that he will do 'whatever I can do to fight to make the business stay'
|"It has become a place where individuals of all backgrounds, including shift workers, parents, and those new to exercise, feel empowered to take control of their health.
"The building itself has been converted to a high standard, maintaining the aesthetic of a domestic outbuilding while functioning internally as a purpose-built fitness space.
"As outlined in the accompanying Design and Access Statement, the scale, design, and use of the facility are in keeping with the local character and do not detract from neighbouring properties."
The next stage of the planning application is set to be decided next month.