Weightlifting gym given eviction extension

Head coach Martin Bass questions why the council is evicting the club

An east London weightlifting gym which has existed for nearly 100 years has been granted a three-month extension to its eviction notice.

The Bethnal Green Weightlifting Club had been ordered to vacate its premises by the end of January by Tower Hamlets Council, but now has until 30 April to make alternative arrangements.

In December, the club's members fought to stop the eviction and gathered signatures as part of a petition to save the venue from closure.

The council said it had extended the eviction notice to give the club more time to put alternative arrangements in place.

Head coach Martin Bass said the extension would allow the club to engage in talks with the council, but added he was concerned about its future.

He claims he was told the site had been earmarked for a "Residents' Hub", but according to a Freedom of Information request submitted by the club, the council has no immediate plans for the premises.

Mr Bass added: "We still do not understand why the council would wish to destroy a 100-year-old institution and replace it with a Residents' Hub for which no plans have been seen."

Members say the club has been a "lifeline" to many people

Over the years the club, which is a non-profit organisation, has produced world champions who have represented Great Britain at the Paralympic Games and the Commonwealth Championships.

The club was once based on Old Bethnal Green Road, before moving to its current home on Turin Street in 1948.

Mr Bass has traced the club back to 1926, although he believes it could have formed earlier than this.

In December, members told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they were heartbroken when they heard about the eviction as the club had been a "lifeline" for many people.

A Tower Hamlets Council spokesperson said: "We've met with representatives of the weightlifting club and agreed to extend the date of the notice to 30 April to provide more time for alternative arrangements to be discussed and put in place.

"We recognise the importance of the club to the community and the borough and will continue to engage with them.

"Senior officers will visit the site to discuss and assess needs and we remain hopeful that a positive resolution can be agreed."