A Crossfit Gym has come under fire from angry neighbors who say the hard-hitting music fitness fanatics are making life hell.
Gritstone CrossFit in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, has been slammed for the volume of songs blasted during group fitness sessions.
Residents who live across the street from the facility say the loud thump of the gym drives them to the point where some say they are ‘broken’.
But the gym insists its training music is within limits set by environmental health officers – while its boss has even claimed it has been targeted in an ongoing harassment campaign by local residents.
Meanwhile, council officials who have visited the site on at least two occasions to investigate the level of noise found that ‘no statutory noise has ever been witnessed’ and ended the impact of the gym on the neighbors ‘marginal’.
Gritstone CrossFit in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, has been slammed for the volume of songs played during group fitness sessions
But council officials said the impact of noise from the gym would be ‘marginal’ for local residents. Pictured is a gym member working out when loud music is heard
Illustrated gym, which recently successfully applied to extend the opening hours
The fitness center is located across the street from the house on the other side of the busy A street
“The dominant source of noise was found to be traffic on Mossley Road,” the report said.
However, one angry resident told MailOnline: ‘This CrossFit gym has been causing trouble for the last 10 years which shows no respect for anyone who wants to live in peace.
“It’s ruined my life because I can’t leave my house now because I’ve lived here for over 25 years and I don’t have to put up with this.
‘I feel like a prisoner in my own house. I couldn’t go to the front of the house because it was so loud. I even considered suicide.’
The 35-year-old added: ‘I’m an emotional wreck over this. I couldn’t hold down my job for the last five years. I think I have PTSD.’
Video footage, seen by MailOnline, has shown a large number of fitness enthusiasts taking part in a group session outside the gym – which is in front of a quiet house.
Music can be heard booming from the gym, as visitors exercise on the various gym equipment indoors.
The resident added that the noise from the fitness center is now affecting his mental health.
“Ten years ago, I was someone else who was able to actively go out and do the things I enjoyed, I even had a gym membership,” she told MailOnline.
‘Over a year ago before I stopped because of this problem and my mental health was getting worse I just broke down entering my gym.’
However, the gym owner has hit back and insists that he has been the victim of a campaign of harassment by locals, who he says have been reported to the police.
Richard Hill, who runs Gritstone CrossFit, said the gym had been inspected by environmental health officers from Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council and that the centre’s music was within legal limits.
Pictured are gym members gathering outside before a group exercise session
“We comply with all the regulations set by the council, who have come twice and given us the green light,” Mr Hill told MailOnline, as he declined to comment further.
The gym last year successfully applied to the council to extend its opening hours.
In planning documents, seen by MailOnline, only one person complained about noise.
The report concluded: ‘The council’s environmental services (public protection) department has investigated numerous complaints of noise caused by the operation of this gymnasium and no statutory noise has been identified by the various investigating officers.
‘The dominant source of noise is found to be traffic on Mossley Road.’
It said the noise created by the gym did not outweigh the ‘environmental noise generated by traffic’.
It added: ‘The impact of the proposed extended operating hours on the general character of the area, which in the commercial enclave uses next to the busy main road, will therefore be marginal.’
MailOnline approached Greater Manchester Police for comment.
