EXCLUSIVE: Former Northampton nightclub where two died to become 24-hour gym
GV of Lava Ignite where student Nabila Nanfuka died.
A FORMER Northampton nightclub where two students died after being crushed last year is to be converted into a 24-hour gym.
The gym chain Pure Gym has announced it will be opening 14 new sites in 2012, one of which will be in the Lava & Ignite building which has been closed since October 19 after the tragic deaths of Nabila Nanfuka, aged 22, and Laurene-Danielle Jackson, aged 19.
Pure Gym has applied to Northampton Borough Council for permission to put three new illuminated signs on the building ahead of the opening of the new gym.
Peter Roberts, chief executive of Pure Gym, said: “We have achieved significant growth across the estate over the past two years and these new gyms will kick start our dynamic roll out for 2012.
“With the economic climate affecting people’s disposable income, affordable fitness with no contract and 24-hour use gives our members freedom of choice and accessibility.”
Shortly after the death of the two students, Luminar, the owners of Lava & Ignite, announced that the venue would close permanently because the company had gone into administration.
An inquest into Miss Nanfuka’s death, held at Kettering Magistrates’ Court on October 27, heard she died as a result of traumatic crush asphyxia.
Miss Nanfuka, of Neasden, north-west London, had been one of at least 1,000 students at the annual Wickedest Wickedest club night, many of whom had travelled from other universities across the country.
Although police told a licensing meeting a day after the tragedy that club staff had “lost control” of the venue, Luminar has denied the club was over its 1,600 limit and that it only sold 1,000 tickets for the event.
Pure Gym is a rapidly-expanding gym chain which, including the new premises opening this year, now has 36 sites in the UK.
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Comments
There are 18 comments to this article
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4x4 fan
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 09:27 AMWander round the town any day of the week and spot the amount of people 'shopping' (even though there are so few shops with items for sale greater than £1 in them) and then look at the clothes they wear - tracksuits, sports tops, trainers. Is there any wonder why companies look around and think - Northampton must be full of fitness mad people lets build a gym. Walk round MK and what do you see - shops worth shopping in (no bargain basement shops there) no drunks, street traders, god botherers, charity workers or market researchers and on top of all that per head of population less gyms. Why? because their council have the foresight of what they want and how the town should be viewed as a welcoming place. NBC or WNDC on the other hand? enough said.
Finker
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 03:36 PMJackson, having read your other comments I can well believe you actually think that.
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 10:10 PM24 hour gym eh? I think starting up a shipbuilding industry on the Nene would have more success.
jadenco
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 08:10 PMThey have recently opened the same thing in leicester, its only around £16 a month too They are a no frills type gym, it is unmanned through the night and monitored by cctv . I for one would be interested as i do work odd hours. Much better the building get used than sit there empty.
TeddyMcnabb
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 07:00 PMObviously the new owners will have done their homework and believe there is a market for it, It will bring employment and income to the town which is to be welcomed and the building wont deterirrate into a state of disrepair. A gym of course being a wholesome place for fitness of mind and body it will also accomodate those who do shift work, i really cant see what the knockers are knocking about. Good luck to it.
jimorourke
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 05:36 PMWhose coming out of their house in the middle of the night to use a gym? How are they going to keep the drunks out especially those that can't spell ? .
willi eckaslyke
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 03:20 PMThe Olympic Games are coming; everyone needs to be fit for that TV extravaganza...Tennis racket sales double during the lead-up to Wimbledon fortnight...For all we know, Northamptonians could be the fittest p*ssartists in the country.
Links
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 01:23 PMSorry, I forgot you can't put slashes on here.
Links
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 01:22 PMDo you remember that episode of Blackadder with Captain Redbeard Rum who roared "Ah, you have a woman's pursebottomwhatever-had-just-been-mentioned" at every opportunity? It's like that on here sometimes. "Ah, we already have too many gymsbarsrestaurantscoffee shops..."
TheCount
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 12:39 PMwhaddon - That's not true. The thing that gets shot down in flames is ridiculouse government spending to create more non-jobs. It's the same old thing though we need real jobs, wealth creation jobs, not more service jobs. The service jobs need to be created to support the people who create wealth, anything else is a falacy.
Kingsthorpe Chap
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 12:37 PMDoes it really matter at least it will be used at there will investment and jobs created
whaddon
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 11:48 AMYeah welcome to the Chron Forum - anything to do with investment, regeneration, or just anything positive,- is shot right down in an instant. The people moaning probably dont even live in npton, and if they do - they certainly dont get out much...
dwells8126
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 11:44 AMSeriously?! People are now COMPLAINING that a gym is opening?! That is just pathetic.
lady muck
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 11:20 AMBrilliant...quick go in the gym to set oneself up for a night of drinking & scrapping !
Finker
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 10:56 AMchoochooytrain, you should have made an offer on the place.
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