Controversial plans for 24-hour town centre gym re-submitted

24hourgym

Controversial plans have been re-submitted by North West Leisure to create a 24 hour gymnasium in a prominent town centre location, which has been empty for nearly three years.

The proposed development is for a change of use for part of the ground floor and the first floor level of 52 Parsonage Green along with some external alterations including the removal of nine windows, timber cladding, external lighting and the installation of 4 air conditioning units. 

North West Leisure submitted a planning application for a change of use for a gymnasium in December 2015 but the decision was taken by the applicant to withdraw the proposals following discussions over the lease and the application was subsequently withdrawn in February 2016.

The scheme includes the creation of three parking spaces, however when the first application was submitted many readers took to our Facebook page and posted comments on wilmslow.co.uk raising concerns about the lack of parking.

Over 30 letters of objection were also received by Cheshire East Council, many of whom complained about the lack of parking and said there were already too many gyms in the area.

Chris Hawkins wrote "In an area already saturated by gyms a central Wilmslow location like this would increase traffic in the town centre by a number that would bring the town to a standstill at peak times. The town centre already suffers from congestion and this would make it untenable. Car parking is already at a premium with a lack of spaces in any of the public cark parks. They are already at breaking point and this would make Wilmslow a place to absolutely avoid."

Charlotte Wedd said "I've been a resident in Wilmslow for years and parking is getting worse and worse. I'm a member of a local gym and know how many spaces these things need especially in the mornings! Just don't think Wilmslow can deal with the extra vehicles that need spaces and are not available!"

Beth Scholey said "Parking in Wilmslow is bad enough as it is if the gym is built parking will be worse for the people in Wilmslow to do their shopping etc. There are loads of gyms already and a leisure centre over the road there just isn't any need for another gym. Something more suitable for the people of wilmslow needs should be built."

This second application states "Interest in the site for A3/A4 use is believed to have been minimal or non-existent in the last 18 months, and the Landlord is supportive of this new application as submitted to deliver a D2 gymnasium on the site in an accessible town centre location in the centre of Wilmslow."

Anytime Fitness would be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and it is anticipated that the gym would provide employment for 5 part time and 5 full time members of staff.

The proposal will occupy the ground floor and first floor of the former bar. The premises were most recently occupied by a sports bar but have been vacant since the building was repossessed on behalf of the landlord in May 2014. Prior to that the building was occupied by La Tasca restaurant.

Anytime Fitness now has over 3,500 clubs worldwide with approximately 110 operating within the UK. The closest Anytime Fitness gyms, which operate as franchisees, are in Bramhall, which opened in January 2017, and Knutsford.

The application states that "Whilst there is the ability to use the gym 24hrs a day, data collected from existing Anytime Fitness sites across the UK, demonstrates that in reality only 4% of members choose to use the gyms outside the hours of 5am – 11pm."

The Bramhall gym, which is located in the village square has around 400 members, and the Knutsford gym is located in Canute Place in the town centre. The majority of these members use the gyms between the hours of 7-9am, and 5-6pm, site previously La Tasca restaurant and most recently Bar Sport The former tenant, Bar Sport, vacated the site in May 2014 and the site has been vacant since.

The scale and form of the building will remain unchanged. It is proposed to clad the outside of the unit in timber to match the existing first floor above the Tesco Express. In order to do this 9 windows will be removed. In addition, 4 external condensers will be mounted to the rear wall (the western elevation) of the building in an existing screened enclosure. External feature lighting is also proposed to be installed at a high level.

The plans can be viewed on the Cheshire East Council website by searching for planning reference 17/1784M. The last date for submitting comments is 3rd May and a decision is expected by 30th May.

Tags:
Anytime Fitness, Parsonage Green, Planning Applications
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Lawrence Turner
Monday 10th April 2017 at 8:37 pm
Parking is a council's responsibility to solve, not the business. A vacant premises can't just to be expected to remain vacant just because people have issues with a lack of parking. It's highly probably that the only ones complaining about parking are drivers themselves. How about walk?
Dave Cash
Tuesday 11th April 2017 at 12:38 am
Lack of available parking could be one reason for refusal of Planning application, as could local residents fears over loss of available parking in surrounding residential roads.
If a business wishes to be successful, it must take account of available parking etc in its Business Plan. Central Wilmslow bars & restaurants should contribute to cost of CCTV.
CEC alreay provides 5 reasonable-sized car parks within easy walking distance of this proposed development, no need for on-street parking.
Jon Armstrong
Tuesday 11th April 2017 at 7:03 am
Bars and restaurants do contribute to the cost of CCTV through the rates that they pay.

Parking is a total non issue here. Someone could reopen this as a bar or restaurant tomorrow without applying for any change of use permission, so the question becomes very simple: Is there any reason to think it will require substantially more parking as a gym than it would as a bar or restaurant? I can't see how the answer would be anything other than No.
Pete Taylor
Tuesday 11th April 2017 at 7:46 am
WTC (I think) already pay for town-centre CCTV but does anyone monitor it- if so who?
Terry Roeves
Tuesday 11th April 2017 at 9:23 am
I used a gym many years ago, during my lunch hour. Car already parked.
In evenings, parking okay, with commuters and shoppers long gone.
Simon Worthington
Wednesday 12th April 2017 at 3:44 pm
Bit of a non story this time. The whole site is an eyesore and from what I am told the landlord of this site and the owner of the ajoining row of dilapidated shops do not see eye to eye with regard to modernising. The whole block needs knocking down and an entertainment venue of the kind often spotted on the continent erecting.
Chris Wigley
Wednesday 12th April 2017 at 7:17 pm
I always think in is an irony to go to a gym to keep fit by car rather than walking or cycling as part of the fitness programme.
Peter Davenport
Wednesday 12th April 2017 at 8:14 pm
I notice that there will be 10 employees, which, most likely need 10 parking places all day, never mind the customers. Do not forget, that with the new shopping area near to Next, there are plans for at least one fitness setup, and if both applications are given, there will be 1 more, making 2 in all. Then Wilmslow will be the fittest town around, with a lot of empty shops
Jon Armstrong
Wednesday 12th April 2017 at 10:35 pm
10 employees for a business open 24 x 7 does not equal "10 parking spaces all day".

But I come back to my previous point: is there any reason to believe this would have a greater parking requirement than it would as a restaurant? Of course it wouldn't, and I bet La Tasca had a lot more than 10 staff members.
Dave Cash
Thursday 13th April 2017 at 12:36 am
I am guessing the 3 parking places will be for 'on duty' staff only. The rest + customers will park elsewhere. It would appear First Leisure are only anticipating max 10 members will be present in any 1 hr period, so 3 staff max can supervise.
Ian Parkinson
Friday 14th April 2017 at 6:40 am
refusal nothing to do with the council owned leisure centre 200 metres away of course!...a nice empty untidy unit is much more use to the people of Wilmslow...and a real eye catcher to anyone driving through.