Furious gym owner in row with council over 'dirty' bench blocking business front

23 May 2023 , 22:56

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Tracey outside the business with the large bench installed on the street outside (Image: Steven Brown)

A gym owner has hit out at a council after a 'dirty' bench appeared outside her business overnight.

Tracey Griffen, from Edinburgh, was woken up by workmen installing the bench just before midnight on Monday and discovered it when she woke up in the morning.

She said: "It has blocked my business and it is not like it is easy running a business in Leith anyway - normally I am a very positive person but this is just, I just don't know."

The fitness studio on the corner of Leith Walk offers online, outdoors or indoor exercise classes. It was originally launched back in 2005 and has been in the premises since 2010.

Tracey is also a successful author of books which teach people to live healthier lifestyles - such as working out from home and eating and exercising for Scottish seasons, reports Edinburgh Live.

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Tracey Griffen, from Edinburgh, was woken up by workmen installing the bench in the night (Steven Brown)

Tracey and her trusty companion, 'Coco the Fitness Pug', live close to the business and is less than happy about the new bench being installed outside of her business.

She added: "I have been cautiously optimistic about the trams for many years and I have had a business here since 2010 and we have had a decade of roadworks. I have tried to see the positive side of the trams but this is an insult.

"It sounds ridiculous to get upset about a concrete block but if you look at the state of it at the back, it is not new and it is dirty."

Tracey said smoke has even drifted into her studio as folk take to the bench for a cigarette.

Trams to Newhaven confirmed on social media that they were looking into the issue.

Councillor Scott Arthur, Transport and Environment Convener, said: “We’re installing furniture like benches along the Trams to Newhaven route, which are an important part of the design, to allow people to rest, relax and spend time. They are particularly important for people with mobility problems.”

Abigail O'Leary