A GYMNASTICS club used by hundreds of youngsters in Oxford could be forced to close down or move out of the city just weeks after moving into its new home.

Cherwell Gymnastics Club – which has more than 700 families on its waiting list – moved into its new home in Blackbird Leys, last month after a five-year search.

But having moved in and spending £20,000 setting up their new home, Oxford City Council revealed their planning application would have to be re-heard.

Printing firm Mayfield Press, based next door to the new facility, in Ashville Way, said its business would have to move out of Oxford if it couldn't expand into the gymnasts' new home.

The club's chairwoman Hazel Walsh said: "For a small city club we have put a lot of money into this and saved up for the move.

"If we had to leave I'm not sure we could afford to set up elsewhere.

"We would do everything we could to keep going and it's likely we would have to leave Oxford seeing as it took us five years to find our new home."

Children had faced a four-year wait to get into the hugely over-subscribed club, previously given a home by Cherwell School, following a surge in interest in the sport after the London 2012 Olympics.

In recent weeks holiday sessions have proved popular and when regular classes resume today 70 new members, some of whom signed up in 2013, will join the club. Hundreds more could be added if the club gets to stay on the site.

Mrs Walsh said: "The new facility is brilliant and we have been able to expand our classes and members already.

"We have lots planned for the future, buying new equipment, starting pre-school and disability sessions and inviting schools and other groups to use the facility.

"Oxford needs a gymnastics club and we hope the councillors will stick with their common sense approach. Please let us stay."

In October, the city council's East Area Planning Committee went against planning officer recommendations and approved the club's plans to move into the former warehouse.

As the application resulted in loss of a key employment site and it emerged that the proposal was not originally advertised as a departure from the Local Plan – it will now be reconsidered by councillors who are once again advised to turn it down.

Claire Hutchings, from Marston, said her daughter had been on the waiting list for a year and urged the councillors to stick to their guns.

She said: "Oxford is severely lacking amenities for children who would like to partake in gymnastics.

"My son plays football, and we have been lucky enough to find a number of options for him, but we have struggled to find gymnastics options for our daughter.

"To find out that the committee was reopening the issue was extremely disappointing."

British Gymnastics – the governing body for the sport in the UK – supported the club's cause initially and urged councillors to stick by their decision.

Facility development manager Neil Moulster said: "I have visited the club in their new building and it meets their needs as a developing gymnastics club.

"Industrial unit buildings of this type are currently being used successfully by hundreds of gymnastics clubs around the country."

But Mayfield Press, which spoke at the original meeting, made its intentions to appeal the decision clear and the city council stopped short of issuing a formal decision notice to re-hear the plans.

Managing director Cameron Thomson said his company – which employs 50 people with another 35 expected to join after it acquired a new business – had a 'gentleman's agreement' with the site owner to take over unit 5. He said giving permission to the gymnastics club was a mistake.

He said: "I understand that the club needs somewhere for the children to train and I totally agree somewhere should be found for them.

"But it should not be to the detriment of a local business and jobs – it's just ridiculous.

"What this will do is stop us expanding and we would most likely have to move out of Oxford."

Councillors will make a decision on Wednesday at 6pm at Oxford Town Hall.