A health and fitness club in Kingston will get a makeover with a new gym and bigger swimming pool which will be opened up to the public for the first time. Kingston Council has approved plans to extend and refurbish The River Club, in Worcester Park.

The new gym at the members' club will have dance and exercise studios, while the swimming pool will be extended by five metres in both length and width.

The changing rooms will be upgraded to accommodate roughly 40 men and 40 women, while a new restaurant, café and members' lounge will be added.

CGI of the plans for The River Club (Credit: Studio Supernatural/The River Club)

Three padel courts will be built to the north of the car park, linking to the main buildings through new paths, and a new outdoor play area will be created.

The community hall on the site, which is currently the only facility open to the public, will be upgraded and continue to host classes, concerts and dance performances.

Some residents had raised concerns about the plans as the site is in Metropolitan Open Land (MOL), which has the same level of protection as the Green Belt.

CGI of the plans for The River Club (Credit: Studio Supernatural/The River Club)

Objector Steve Wexler, a local resident, said the scheme should be seen as "inappropriate development" as the site had a history of planning refusals and enforcement actions to prevent or remove far smaller extensions on the grounds that would impact the openness of the MOL.

At the council's planning meeting on September 10, Mr Wexler said: "Approval of this plan would cast doubt on the integrity of the planning team's decision-making processes and would set harmful precedents in the area."

However, Barry Lomax, the council's Head of Development Management, said: "It is a lawfully developed site… there may be instances of development here which are unauthorised, it doesn't make them unlawful necessarily."

Mr Lomax said officers had ruled the development would not have a major impact on the openness of the MOL, and that it was not inappropriate. He added recent changes to government planning policy had made it easier to develop land.

Cameron Davis, Director at Jericho Estates, the agent for the application, also said the club's current owners bought it in 2020 and could not comment on every application before then.

He said: "We are excited by the proposals, and we want to do what we can to provide high-class facilities for what is becoming a nationally important priority for individual health and wellness."

CGI of the plans for The River Club (Credit: Studio Supernatural/The River Club)

The club's swimming pool will open up to the public for the first time under the changes, including to schools. Planning documents said this would help meet demand for swimming pools in Kingston, as the borough only has one public pool since the Kingfisher Leisure Centre shut in 2019.

While a replacement leisure centre is being built, it is not due to be completed until 2027 due to years of delays. The gym, group exercise classes and padel courts will also be opened up to non-members.

Planning documents argued the upgrades would help to ensure the long-term success of the club, allowing it to transform its offer to focus more on families and community access.

The documents added: "The River Club is a privately-owned sports and fitness club offering a range of facilities and activities to a membership of circa 2,500 [people].

"There is very limited access to those who are not members, and virtually no community access at all.

"The current owner is keen to invest in the club to extend facilities, develop new provision, and increase capacity to enable increased member and non-member access."

The committee unanimously approved the plans at the end of the meeting.