Plans submitted for an Olympic weightlifting academy in Wallsend
lans have been submitted to convert an empty Wallsend industrial unit into an “olympic weightlifting academy”.
North Tyneside Council has received an application to convert unit 18 in the Maurice Road Industrial estate into a weightlifting space. The firm behind the application, Cube Weightlifting Academy, has stated they now need a permanent hub, having previously traded in shared gym spaces, due to high demand.
According to the application: “We are an Olympic Weightlifting academy and have been trading from shared gym spaces but we are finding a high demand for our services and need our own property to serve the community. We are affiliated to British Weightlifting and received funding for our youth weightlifting club which targets youth from deprived areas so we can offer sessions and equipment at less cost for them.
“We are developing the sport for the local area and are in the top 5 clubs for youth lifters. We have athletes in the national GB team and many on the British Weightlifting talent pathway to be in these groups.”
The application continued: “Our proposal will benefit the local area which many of our members are already from by being able to offer our own safe space and to offer our services more widely to the community.”
Cube Weightlifting also state that three other sites, two in Wallsend and one in Whitley Bay, had also been considered but were ruled out over rent prices, disabled access, or conflicts of interest. 75 Park View, Whitley Bay, had previously hosted Taekwondo and martial arts classes.
At the time of writing, the application had yet to receive a decision, however, the local authority’s highways department has recommended the project go ahead.