Hove Fitness to take over former Hybrid Fitness site

Hove Fitness Club had to move out of its home in Nevill Road after RAAC concrete was found in the building.

Now it is planning to take over the former Sports Direct gym site in St Helier’s Avenue, Hove, which closed in October 2022.

Hybrid Fitness gym previously said it would take over the site plans were scrapped in November leaving some members out of pocket.

Hove Fitness co-owner Matt Lambert said: It’s a touch of luck for us, you couldn’t write it. We couldn’t see where else to go but we were thrown a lifeline.

Members of the Hove Fitness club (Image: Shannon Cassidy (@Shannon.cassidy.photography))

“The new building is much bigger. It’s much the same but we will have extra yoga and wellness studios and more functional training areas.

“I’m pretty confident people will come with us. Everyone is delighted and people really want to come back to what we had.”

Hove Fitness and Squash was forced from its old site after dangerous RAAC concrete was found in the building in October.

Co-owners Matt Lambert and Lucy Egan outside the old Neville Road site (Image: Andrew Gardner/The Argus)

The closure sparked an outpouring of support with hundreds backing a campaign to save the site.

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Owners Matt, Lucy Egan and Ben Hutton heard that plans for Hybrid Fitness's plan to take over the gym site in St Helier's Avenue had fallen through.

The gym franchise had announced plans to open in October 2023 but early bird members were later told the director of the project had gone “AWOL”. The closure meant some members who waited months for the opening lost the fee they paid for their first month’s membership.

Hybrid fitness announced plans to open but the plans were scrapped last year (Image: The Argus)

Matt got in touch with the landlords of the site and has since finalised plans to take over the building. The site previously housed a Sports Direct gym but has been vacant for over a year.

While Hove Fitness will lose its previous squash facilities it plans to renovate tennis courts on the site and make use of new studio facilities.

Hove Fitness hopes to open in March, however no official opening date has been announced.