Earlier this year, the Trustees of the Monks Cross Shopping Park applied to City of York Council to make changes to part of a unit to create a gym.
The scheme involves installing a full cover Mezzanine to the currently empty Units 12A and 12B.
The units would be merged and used by the national gym chain Everlast.
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A report by council planners prepared for next Thursday’s (June 20) meeting of planning committee says the retail units are sited in three terraces positioned around the parking area.
Both the units have an internal floorspace combined of 1,068m2, which would be increased to 2,108m2 by the installation of the mezzanine. No external alterations are proposed.
The report explains that following the introduction of Class E (Commercial, Business and Service) in September 2020, there is no change of use.
Before 2018, it continued, Unit 12 was one unit, but subsequent permissions allowed to be the unit to be subdivided into two units with additional mezzanine, then subdivided into three retail units with a mezzanine on each unit.
“This has created Unit 12, 12A and 12B. Unit 12 is currently occupied by JD Sports and has been since April 2021. The works to subdivide Units 12A and 12B have not been undertaken due to the absence of tenant interest.”
The report, to be debated by councillors next Thursday, says the development would only be supported if the scheme could show there were no better sites for it.
The applicants would also have to show their scheme wouldn’t significantly ‘adverse impact’ existing and planned investment in the city centre or other defined centres, harming the vitality and viability of any defined centre.
The report explained: “The applicant has completed the sequential test which indicates that there are no sequentially preferable sites in the city centre or any other defined centre. The proposal does not meet the thresholds for submission of an impact test.
“The applicant has demonstrated the units have been marketed for over 2 years without interest and the increase in the floorspace would not have significant local impacts on the local highway network or parking demand at Monks Cross Shopping Park.”
Therefore, the planners concluded the proposal meets local and national planning policies, including those of the Huntington Neighbourhood Plan and approval was recommended.
Everlast currently has 56 gyms nationwide, with the nearest being found in Leeds and Hull. Memberships typically cost about £30 per month. Everlast Gym’s are part of Sports Direct Fitness group.
