The former Market Hall building in Alexandra Road was left badly damaged after a blaze started at one end of the Grade II-listed building in May.

At the time, it was being used as a gym called The Health Club and initial reports suggested the fire had started due to a fault in a sauna heater.

Now, six months later, the owners of the building have finally started work to repair it and get it ready for a new gym to be opened.

Jonathan Hughes and Mike Oliver-Neck had bought the building just six weeks before the fire and had plans to re-brand the health club under the name Body Management.

Jonathan, aged 28 from Cwmbran in South Wales, said: “It has been a bit of an eye-opener for both of us.

“With the building being Grade II-listed it has been quite a long time going back and forth with what materials we can use before getting permission.

“It has been a long, drawn-out process.

“Getting the permission and starting work on the building has been a massive relief.”

As part of the work, Jonathan and Mike intend to extend the mezzanine floor to allow more machines to be installed and they also want to create a dedicated therapy room for treatments such as sport massage.

Once complete, the club will reopen as Body Management and will offer a wide range of classes and membership packages.

Since the fire, members have been using facilities at Redwood Hotel and Country Club near Bristol and the Congresbury hotel, Doubletree by Hilton at Cadbury House. It is now hoped they will return to the Clevedon gym once it is up and running.