Puregym set to open at Woolwich’s Royal Arsenal site
Low cost gym group Puregym are set to open at the Royal Arsenal site in Woolwich.
It’ll be situated on Plumstead Road near Sainsbury’s and Barclays Bank and open 24/7. There are currently branches in Charlton and Kidbrooke, and a rapidly rising population through various new developments offers a large potential customer base. Monthly membership costs are low and generally between £15 and £20. Fifteen jobs will be provided.
They state “appropriate measures for acoustic insulation and noise mitigation from activity within the gym across its proposed 24 hour operating hours.” Yours truly once lived above a 24/7 gym and to be honest it was no great bother.
Impact
The arrival of another low-cost gym will be a blow to Greenwich Council’s centre. Greenwich Leisure Limited – who trade as Better – formerly operated a gym beside Lidl which recently closed. Lidl are expanding into part of the former site.
Greenwich Council’s Waterfront has seen declining membership numbers for some years now, with a report in January 2020 showing a 20 per cent fall in numbers.
The centre is due to close and move to a new site on General Gordon Square. However the move is heavily delayed and 2025 is now the latest estimated date.
The centre’s car park was sold to Berkeley Homes who are currently building two towers on site, having recently completed another two.
All council leisure centres have been hit by low-cost alternatives and saw sharply reducing members long before covid.
Brilliant news. Joined PureGym to use a central London gym but have occasionally used Charlton but I dislike the idea of driving to a gym and public transport is an 80 minute round trip from West Thamesmead. I’ve long wished for a PureGym in Woolwich!