A legendary South London gym is fighting to survive as Transport for London’s property firm looks to raise its rent.
Physical Culture, which sits under railway arches in Putney, has already seen its rent rise steeply since the Covid-19 pandemic and it is now facing another hike from landlord Places for London.
The much-loved venue is one of the oldest powerlifting gyms in the country, and Putney’s oldest gym, having been set up in 1928. Olympians, Commonwealth Games medallists and other champion athletes – including the legendary George Hackenschmidt, recognised as the first World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion – have trained and supported members at the gym for nearly a century.
Chris Quinn, who has run the gym since the late 1980s, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the venue is facing its biggest challenge yet, having already struggled to survive the major impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic – including being forced to shut for prolonged periods.
As Physical Culture emerged from the pandemic, Places for London revealed it planned to raise its annual rent from £26,500 to £45,000.
Chris said the gym had to spend vital funds on hiring a chartered surveyor to negotiate the figure down to a stepped rent rising to £41,500 over three years, which is still far too expensive. Places for London now wants to raise the rent again from November by inflation plus one per cent.
Chris said: “The problem for us is that everything was fine up to the pandemic, and since the pandemic we’ve just been in survival mode.”
Places for London told the LDRS it is working closely with Physical Culture and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to make sure the gym can continue to run for many years to come.
The gym secured Asset of Community Value status from Wandsworth Council this year, which means the community would have six months to submit its own bid to buy the venue if Places for London decided to sell.
Although the victory highlighted the importance of the venue and its strong community backing, it is still battling the proposed rent increase.
Chris said the base rent on which the increase would be applied is already too expensive and any further increase is unaffordable for independent businesses like his, where he is already working around the clock to make ends meet.
He said that while Places for London suggested applying for grants, any applications may not be successful and would not sustain the gym in the long run.
When the LDRS visited the gym, Chris and its members stressed its irreplaceable role in providing local strength training, bringing the community together and helping people to age well.
People of all ages and abilities – and from across London – train and socialise at the gym, which helps to tackle loneliness.
Chris said: “You’re all the same when you’re in the gym. Obviously some people are stronger, but you’re all basically doing the same thing and you’re working together and because you’re all meeting each other, people talk to each other in between sets, so it forces people into communities. They get camaraderie, but it’s a natural way to do it.”
He said the gym is a rare surviving site of British physical culture and must be protected as such.
The gym’s website adds: “Unlike transient or chain-operated facilities, Physical Culture has remained deeply rooted in its local area, passing from one generation of members to the next. Many current members have family connections to the gym stretching back decades.
“Preserving this space means preserving a living piece of local heritage, not as a museum, but as a working, active community asset that continues to serve the public.”
A Places for London spokesperson said: “We hugely value the contribution made by small and medium size businesses on our estate. They are an important part of London’s stations, streets and more and our tenants, such as Physical Culture, make a positive difference to our customers and their communities
“We recognise Physical Culture’s history and contributions, and are working closely with them and the GLA to ensure it continues to be financially viable and ensure the gym can continue to run for many years to come.
“Our aim is to make sure we provide high-quality spaces for businesses at a reasonable market rate. We have proposed a rent increase of only RPI+1 per cent for Physical Culture. We know that there many challenges facing small and medium businesses across London, and we have met with the team at Physical Culture and offered to find ways to support them and their businesses.”
Anyone wishing to donate money to help support the gym can do so on its website.
