Bracknell Rugby club could soon get a new indoor gym at its clubhouse in Lily Hill Park if the council grants it permission.

The planned new gym would replace the club’s current, dilapidated outdoor gym which has been battered by the weather and “no longer fit for purpose".

Photographs show how the current outdoor gym is plagued with weeds and overgrown grass, and sparsely littered with weather-beaten equipment.

A statement by Bracknell Rugby Club submitted to the council says the club needs the new gym for its growing membership – with 600 playing members.

The statement says: “There is currently a lack of suitable gym facilities and the demand for fitness facilities has increased in recent years as the playing side of the club has improved.

“The gym will provide a space for people to exercise and stay healthy, which is essential for physical and mental wellbeing.”

The planned new gym would take up the same space as the outdoor one at the clubhouse in the south west corner of Lily Hill Park.

The club initially got planning permission to build the outdoor gym in 2015. But its contract with the company that ran the gym ran out, and the facility fell into disrepair, so that it is “no longer fit for purpose.”

In a report to the council, consultants ET Planning said: “It is clear from the pictures that the current facility is in poor condition. By having a covered area, the facility could be used all year round and in all weathers by members of the club.”

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Bracknell Forest Council leases the land in Lily Hill Park to Bracknell Rugby club. ET Planning admits that government planning policy says that outdoor recreation spaces – such as parks – shouldn’t be built on.

But it also points out that building is allowed if it is for “alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.”

The company argues that the new gym will benefit Bracknell by encouraging more people to join the rugby club.

It also says that if the council refused planning permission, the club would have to find a site too far away from the clubhouse. It also says the club would have to lease more land, which “could leave the club in a financial difficulty.”

The planning application is available to view and comment on at Bracknell Forest Council’s planning website, using reference number 23/00451/FUL.