A local Warrington firm, Shift Health and Fitness, is looking to expand its operations by opening a new gym in the town. The firm has submitted plans to the Warrington Borough Council to convert a currently vacant commercial unit on School Brow into a gym.
This unit, previously occupied by Sulzpasha, an automotive business, will be transformed into a gym with the addition of an internal mezzanine floor. The existing gym on Wilderspool Causeway, which currently has 150 members, could potentially double its membership to 300 with the addition of this new premises.
The plans for the gym include building a mezzanine floor of 99sqm to increase the usable area of the existing 238sqm unit. There will also be new facilities added at ground level, but no exterior alterations or extensions to the building are proposed. The site already has three car parking spaces allocated for the unit, which is considered adequate given the existing parking provision at the retail park.
Shift Health and Fitness expects that there will be no more than 20 to 25 people on-site at any given time. The gym will operate from 6am to 9pm, Monday to Thursday, 6am to 8pm on Fridays, and 7am to 1pm on weekends. The firm believes that the new gym will provide a valuable opportunity for a well-established business to expand in Warrington and create new employment opportunities.
If the proposal is approved, at least eight to 10 full-time equivalent jobs will be created initially. The firm is confident that this expansion will not only benefit their business but also contribute to the local economy. The plans have been carefully thought out to ensure that the new gym can operate efficiently and safely while bringing a vacant unit back into use.
Overall, Shift Health and Fitness believes that the proposal should be welcomed as it will not only benefit their business but also the community by providing a new fitness facility and job opportunities in the area.