When pilates teacher Jon Hawkins set up a studio at his home in a quiet Norfolk village he hoped to help people rediscover their zest for life by improving their strength, agility and flexibility.
But his dream now looks set to collapse on to the mat after he became entangled with the local council, which has accused him of stretching the rules and ordered him to shut down the studio in Weybourne.
North Norfolk District Council has sent Mr Hawkins an enforcement notice for running his business, Free Range Pilates, from a converted barn at Weybourne House, in The Street, without the required planning permission.
The pilates teacher had previously received permission to convert the building into a private gym, home office and shower room.
But he is now using it for his pilates studio, giving sessions for private clients, which the council says is unauthorised.
Officials have ordered him to stop using the building for this purpose and have issued him with an enforcement notice.
They say he would be unlikely to get proper planning permission, because the business will create traffic problems on the main road through the village.
The enforcement notice says: “In the council’s opinion the barn is now being used as a commercial pilates studio which is materially different from a private gym as permitted.
“In the council’s view there is a highways safety issue due to the lack of emerging visibility onto the street which is a busy tourist route and classified road.
“It is considered the use would be an intensification of a substandard access onto a classified road.
“The council does not consider that planning permission should be granted for the development because conditions attached to any consent could not overcome the planning issues.”
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Mr Hawkins, a former osteopath who has been teaching pilates for 15 years, currently offers both private and group sessions.
The council has said he must permanently cease his pilates lessons within two months of when the notice takes effect on March 12.
He now has until that date to make an appeal.
If he does not do so, the enforcement notice comes into effect. Failure to comply with the terms of such a notice is a criminal offence and could result in prosecution.
Mr Hawkins declined to comment.
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