New women-only gym planned for Kettering’s town centre

National operator Gymophobics has applied to convert 10 Horsemarket, opposite the bus stops, into a gym facility.

If approved it would provide a space for women from the age of 17 upwards to complete exercise circuits without some of the things that put people off going to normal gyms.

A planning statement said: “Unlike a conventional gym there are no showers, [no] clanking weights, no pounding treadmills and no loud music or aerobic classes to disturb other occupants of the building or the surrounding area.

“Clients use air operated machines which are whisper quiet and weigh no more than a filing cabinet.”

Gymophobics works on a model where members attend the facility at a specific appointment time to complete a 30-minute exercise circuit using 10 pieces of equipment.

This means the maximum number of members in the facility at one time is 10.

Company directors say the town centre location is “ideally located” and that the gym would only add to the town’s offering.

The planning statement added: “Kettering offers an eclectic mix of shops, businesses and services.

“A women’s gym would only add to the mix of facilities in the town centre.

“As members are encourage to attend the gym a minimum of three times a week, it is likely that they will combine their visits with other activities in the area, thus contributing to the local economy.”

This would be the second Gymophobics franchise in the county, with one currently in Daventry. There are more than 50 UK-wide.

An application form says the gym would be open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 2pm on weekends.

It would create three full-time and three part-time jobs.

A decision could be made by April 8 this year.