Merelbeke (Brussels Morning newspaper) – A court has ordered the 24/7 Basic Fit in Merelbeke to close at night after a neighbour complained about noise from loud music, mopeds, youths, and an excessively noisy exhaust system.
As VRT News reported, the Basic Fit gym in Merelbeke, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium, which used to be open 24 hours a day, must now close at night. A court ordered the branch to shut from midnight to 7 a.m. They mentioned that the parking lot next to the gym must also be closed during these hours.
The case started after a neighbour living next to the gym, with a garden bordering the property, complained about noise. She said the parking lot was often filled with loud music, young people hanging around, and mopeds being ridden late at night.
What led the court to order Basic Fit Merelbeke to close at night?
The woman first filed a complaint with the police in 2024, but no action followed. She then went to the Justice of the Peace. The gym did not show up at the conciliation hearing, forcing the court to act.
The court said it was important to protect residents’ right to quiet while letting the gym operate during the day and evening. Basic Fit must now change its opening hours and secure the parking lot to prevent further disturbances and follow the court’s order.
In 2025, the neighbour living next to the Basic Fit gym in Merelbeke hired an independent expert to carry out a noise study. The report confirmed that the gym’s exhaust system was producing noise levels far above the Flemish government’s limits. The study also found that activities in the parking lot, such as loud music and gatherings, were causing excessive noise for the surrounding homes.
Basic Fit responded by saying that the noise problem had already been fixed, but the court found no evidence to support this claim. The judge ruled in favour of the neighbour, ordering the gym to follow temporary nighttime closing hours. A forensic expert in acoustic diagnostics will now examine the noise levels and assess the impact.
