Gym demands support after dangerous concrete found

Hove Fitness and Squash was forced to leave its Nevill Road site in October

The operators of an East Sussex gym which was closed due to the discovery of dangerous concrete have demanded financial help from the building's owner.

Hove Fitness and Squash was forced to leave its Nevill Road site last month after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found.

Co-owner Matt Lambert said: “We had a thriving business, and now there is nowhere to go. We’re homeless.”

The building's owner Entain, which also owns betting firms Ladbrokes and Coral, said it did not intend to re-let the property.

On 10 October, Hove Fitness and Squash closed with immediate effect after it was discovered that parts of the building leased from Entain contained Raac.

Some exercise classes were able to take place at the nearby Hove Greyhound Stadium, also owned by Entain, but this was halted due to insurance reasons, Mr Lambert said.

'We're not just a gym'

He is now calling on Entain, which reportedly generated revenue of £4.2bn in 2022, to provide financial support to help reopen the gym.

“There are other gyms out there and some people have gone to those, but we’re not just a gym. It’s a real community,” he told BBC Radio Sussex.

“Especially the older people won’t do anything because they felt safe with us. They won’t go anywhere, that’s the sad thing, and their health and mental health will suffer, like a lot of us.”

He added: “Entain are going to have to do something. Even if people aren’t inside, we’ve still got all of our equipment in there.”

Entain said a survey revealed “critical structural issues” in the building.