A GYM which submitted plans to relocate to a former milk factory due to a lack of car park access at its current premises has been given permission to make the move.

Evolution Gym sent in plans to St Helens Council to convert the building on Duncan Street, near the town centre.

St Helens Star:

Evolution Gym is relocating

Plans said the gym had to move from its current base at the junction of North Road and Duke Street due to no longer having access to a communal car park and that it risked losing members if it does not relocate.

A design and access statement in the plans says: "The building was originally to operate as a dairy factory, and it thought to have changed its use throughout the years, its most recent use was a car garage - The Renault Man".

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The statement added: "The existing layout of the warehouse is ideally suited to be converted into a gymnasium. It comprises a large central open space for equipment to be used as the main floor, and partition walls in opposite corners of the building forming suitably sized rooms for changing areas and lockers.

"There will be no changes to the internal layout formation".

The plans received numerous letters of support from residents and gym members in favour of the application.

One of them said: "As a resident of the Shires estate and a member of Evolution Gym, I think it would be a great move for the gym.

"At the original building there is no parking and it is situated on a very busy roundabout.

"The move will create parking spaces, job opportunities and will allow for better social distancing in the current situation that we are in. It will bring the community together as there is nothing on this estate.

"It will help fight obesity and mental health problems. I support this application 100%".

The site will have 32 parking spaces, plans added.

St Helens Star:

The former milk factory

There would be "no change" to the appearance of the building, other than an advertising sign, which will be subject to a separate application.

Recommending the application for approval, planning officer Natasha Ayres said in a report: "Given the nature of the building being detached from other properties, and the site benefitting from private parking facilities, it is considered that the gym would not significantly impact upon neighbouring amenity".

St Helens Council gave the relocation of the gym formal approval.

Police found a cannabis farm of more than 1,600 plants at the former milk factory building in October 2020.