Former shop could be turned into gym
ONE of the most distinctive buildings in Cheltenham, which was left vacant after DW Sports moved out, could become home to a new business.
The Roundhouse building in Gloucester Road, near Tesco, could be home to a gym, if a planning application to the borough council is approved.
Permission is being sought for JD Gyms to operate from the building, bringing the unit back into active economic use. The application seeks a change to planning conditions to enable its use as a health and fitness club and not just retail.
The building is a landmark in the area due to its distinctive style and its location on a main road in Cheltenham near the Tesco superstore in Colletts Drive, the Cheltenham Trade Park and a Volkswagen car dealership.
If successful, it is expected that the new gym would generate 20 jobs. No physical works to the building, which used to be a JJB Sports superstore, are
proposed. The application says: “The proposal will enable the re-occupation of a vacant unit within a sustainable and accessible location that forms part of a wider commercial location and is at the edge of Cheltenham town centre.
“The proposal will create employment positions and promote opportunities for health and fitness and activity to support healthy lifestyles of residents within the town.”
The application says the site is considered to be easily accessible by a variety of sustainable and public modes of transport.
It benefits from good pedestrian links to surrounding residential and commercial areas, as well as being connected to the bus network through stops that are close by – the nearest of them is under 100 metres away on Honeybourne Way.
JD Gyms describes itself as a low-cost gym chain that does not compromise on quality or style. If its application is successful, the Cheltenham gym would be its first in Gloucestershire. Other JD Gyms sites are in places including Bristol, the Midlands and South Wales.