A Fife gymnastics club featured on television is looking for new premises, after £100,000 plans for a Dalgety Bay training facility were thrown out.
Members of Acrobay, which was behind the gravity-defying group Gymtasia Evolution on Sky 1’s Got to Dance, were said to be devastated after residents opposed a proposal to transform the hall at Dalgety Bay Sports and Leisure Centre into a purpose-built gymnastics training facility.
Acrobay secretary Debbie Wilson said: “Obviously we’re really disappointed. The girls are all devastated.
“They all thought it would be changed into a gymnastics centre and it’s not going to happen. We’re disappointed but we’ll move on from here.
“We had plans to get people involved in the sport who do not want to take it up competitively, so everybody could take part. We had plans for trampolining and free running for the boys. All of that has been knocked on the head now.
“The problem is getting somewhere with the right ceiling height because the girls are thrown up into the air.
“There’s not much around the Dalgety Bay area at the moment but we don’t want to go too far from Dalgety Bay because that’s our catchment area.”
Dalgety Bay and Hillend Community Council said its consultation on the proposal drew 127 responses, of which 81% were against.
The community council said the £100,000 earmarked in Fife Council’s budget for the refurbishment should be spent on new premises for the club in the area.
It said in a statement: “The community council accepts the outcome of the public consultation, which is against the trust’s proposals to develop a gymnastics training centre at Dalgety Bay Sports Centre, but supports the trust and the Acrobay gymnastics club to seek external funding to develop a new facility in the area.
“The £100,000 being made available should be used for this purpose.”
Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, which manages Dalgety Bay Sports and Leisure Centre on behalf of Fife Council, said the refurbishment plans had been drawn up in response to the success of gymnastics training at the hall.
Talented gymnasts from Acrobay shot to fame last year when Gymtasia Evolution made it into the final three of the Got to Dance contest, after amazing the judges with a mixture of gravity-defying acrobatics and graceful choreography.
Meanwhile, the club returned from the Scottish Championships with 13 golds, one silver and two bronzes its best performance.
The club’s Rebecca Sinclair is to compete in the finals of the British Tumbling Championships, after finishing fifth in the semi-finals in Sheffield.
Wendy Watson, chief operation officer for Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, said: “Fife Sports and Leisure Trust was keen to support this project as we have had a long association with Acrobay gymnastics club and have seen the tremendous level of skill and dedication the coaches and gymnasts have delivered.
“While we are disappointed that it will not proceed, we do respect the decision of the local community.
“The trust will now work closely with the gymnastic club and Fife Council to find a facility in central Fife that can suit the gymnasts’ requirements and continue to encourage more children to participate in physical activity.
“We will also look to work with the local community in terms of the future use and plans for the Dalgety Bay facility, so that it can continue to be a valued community asset.”