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A GYMNASTICS club could finally have access to a dedicated facility with space to flip, tumble and spin, if their club’s planning application is accepted. Regent Gymnastics Club, which had to move out of Fort Regent at the end of last month, are hoping to convert a disused warehouse on Le Breton Lane into a gymnastics hall – which their students said would help them “continue growing, welcome more local children and families, and provide a safe, positive, and healthy activity right here in the heart of town”. In a letter addressed to their potential future neighbours, the students stressed that their club was “a big part of [their] lives” and at the centre of their community. “It’s where we train, learn new skills, and make lifelong friends,” they said. Plans for the facility show how they could build a specialist floor and apparatus like a beam and bars, as well as changing rooms. At the Fort, their 350 members got to use equipment from the Paris Olympics, which was gifted to them after the event. They are now sharing Oakfield with the other sports clubs that were evicted from the Fort – and several of the Island’s gymnastics clubs have reported struggling for an appropriate space to train in. Regent Gymnastics Club’s proposal is seeking to take over an empty warehouse unit at 1 Le Breton Lane, which has stood empty for some time. The 870-square-metre building does not have on-street parking, so Victoria College Prep have agreed to a nine-year agreement that would allow parents to use their car park, subject to strict drop-off and pick-up times. Victoria College Prep head teacher, Dan Pateman, praised the club’s “inclusive and inspiring approach”. “The club’s presence in our community enriches the lives of many families and aligns closely with our values at Victoria College Preparatory School,” he said. “We believe that securing a dedicated space at Le Breton Lane will enable Regent Gymnastics to expand its positive impact and continue delivering high-quality programming to the young people of Jersey.” St Helier Deputies Sam Mézec and David Warr both endorsed the plans, with Deputy Mézec saying: “The club urgently needs a new home.” The proposal was “well thought out”, he added, saying the building was “long-empty”. The club also had the endorsement from the Independent Gymnastics Association, Le Rocquier School’s head of creative arts Kate O’Haire, and building contractors Hacquoil & Cook – all of whom praised their impact on the community.
