A GALASHIELS fitness studio which supporters say has been a godsend during the COVID-19 pandemic today faces an uncertain future after a retrospective planning application was refused.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) received a bid in January for the change of use of an industrial unit at Whinstone Mill on the Netherdale Industrial Estate to house Fitness Refinery.

The outlet has been operating without planning approval for a year and the retrospective bid, submitted by fitness centre owner Dania McFarlane, generated numerous letters of support from members and non-members.

Many hailed the benefits the facility had offered to their physical and mental health during the pandemic.

One contributor wrote: “Other fitness centres operate in the Netherdale area and it would be unfair not to allow this new business an opportunity to trade, grow and thrive.

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“Fitness Refinery is making a very important contribution to health and well-being and those who have been using it for the last year, since it opened, are benefiting from an improved healthy lifestyle because of the services available.

“This is a new Borders business operated by someone in the local community and the council should be supporting the creation of new businesses.”

Despite the support from supporters within the community, Carlos Clarke, SBC’s lead planning officer, has refused the application on the grounds that it is deemed contrary to the council’s Local Development Plan, which highlights the need to protect and retain business and industrial sites.

He says: “I acknowledge the letters of support and understand the implication refusal may have on the applicant. The development of the business is to be supported generally, and ideally it would be on this occasion, but Local Development Plan policy requires that, on safeguarding sites the primary obligation is to maintain an adequate supply of employment for business and industrial land and that is overriding.”