A dispute over a “dangerous” home gym built without permission in Basingstoke, Hampshire, has divided neighbours and forced council intervention.
Emma Woodley and Paul Willis spent tens of thousands of pounds building a single-storey gym on the driveway of their £440,000 property. Paul, a personal trainer, believed the structure did not require planning permission. However, local residents complained that the gym took up one of the two parking spaces on the property, causing parking problems and safety concerns.
Neighbours have described the gym as “dangerous,” saying the couple now park on a road corner, which reduces visibility and increases the risk of accidents. One resident told Mail Online that parking on the road has already led to problems and collisions.
After complaints, the local council rejected Woodley and Willis’s retrospective application to keep the gym. Officials warned that allowing the structure could set a precedent, leading to a loss of parking spaces on the street. The council ordered the couple to remove the building within six months.
Local resident Olivia Lucas opposed the retrospective planning permission. She said the area already suffers from parking issues, with cars blocking the road or pavements and forcing pedestrians, children, and pets to walk in unsafe spots. She added that the couple’s parking habits make it difficult for drivers to see oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of head-on collisions.
Emma Woodley denied parking on the street, saying she and her husband use nearby unallocated parking spaces, which often have empty spots. She explained that their driveway was difficult to use before the gym was built due to poor visibility caused by a bend and hill near their property. Woodley said clients training in the gym are also asked to park in unallocated spaces.
The couple said losing the gym would hurt Paul Willis’s personal training business. Some neighbours have defended the gym, calling the complaints “silly” and saying the structure does not harm anyone. Others believe the council’s demand to remove it is too harsh since it is not an eyesore.
Emma Woodley called the situation “ludicrous,” noting that other residents have caravans and sheds on their driveways without issue.
This incident follows another neighbour dispute in the UK, where a woman faced backlash after cutting down a tree that blocked sunlight to her garden. The woman explained she bought a south-facing property but lost most of the sun due to the tree’s shade.
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