All change at The Armoury

It appears that Welshpool Town Council has given away The Armoury building to a mental health charity for free, despite one business offering to buy it for £120,000.

In a letter to its hundreds of members, owners of The Armoury Sports Centre, who leased the Town Council-run building for the past five years, said that “due to circumstances out of our control The Armoury Sports Centre will be closing its doors, as the building is being taken over by a mental health charity”.

Business owner, Chris Greatorex, who also runs Great Fitness at the former Pola Cinema building, told us that he had offered to buy the building with plans to re-introduce the much needed indoor sports hall.

He said he was shocked to find that his offer had been declined in what appears to be a preference to hand the building over for free to Ponthafren, a hard working charity that provides much needed mental health support for the area.

Ponthafren was left homeless after being told to leave their high street premises by Powys County Council who need more space to accommodate staff from Neuadd Maldwyn, which has also been given away to a care facility developer.

The Armoury’s other current tenant, Kaleidoscope, which provides drug and alcohol support to those in need, will be moving to its new premises close to The Cross in the town centre in the new year.

The Town Council has been contacted for clarification, but has not replied yet to our request for information.

However, there is good news for Armoury members, with Chris informing us that he will be going into business with Transformer Fitness to open a new 9,000sqft mega gym at the front of the Fox complex (former Bulrlingtons building) on Henfaes Lane.

Transformer Fitness will open its doors on February 1, the day after The Armoury will close. The Armoury’s ladies only gym will be moving to Great Fitness.

Both Transformer Fitness and Great Fitness will be offering a special sign up price of £19.99 per month, and anyone currently in contract will have those terms honoured at Great Fitness only until the end of that contract.

For any inquiries about the move, contact Thearmourywelshpool@gmail.com.