The space in the Curve at the junction of Telegraph Road and the Mount, empty since Taskers shut down its retail home furnishings operation there in mid-2018, will be turned into a 24 hour health and fitness facility if a planning application to Wirral Borough Council is successful.
The application, by HW Fitness Limited, would create a gym marketed under the Snap Fitness brand.
In a planning report commissioned by HW Fitness the Snap Fitness business model is described as “based around offering its members a standard format, state of the art gym facility which is open 24 hours a day seven days a week. The layout includes high quality fit out specification to ensure consistency, quality and brand integrity.”
The report also states that, since marketing of the vacant site began, there has been little interest, and that the planning application does not include “any alterations to the external appearance of the building. The proposed conversion will comprise of internal alterations only. The gym will be largely open plan and include three distinct work out areas, including a cardio area, free weights section and weight machines. Minor internal alterations will be required including partitions to create an office, shower and changing facilities.”
Technically speaking, HW Fitness is asking for change of use of a Class A1 retail space to Class D2 entertainment and leisure venue. To bolster its case, the changing nature of the high street is cited: “The High Street has been further impacted by…the growth in online retail / E-tailing. In this regard, it is widely acknowledged that shopping centres and high streets will need to compete with this choice and that, as a result, town centres and high streets will increasingly need to provide a shopping ‘experience’.”
If the application is successful and development goes ahead, Snap Fitness will join the recently opened Advance Fitness located just across the road above Costa Coffee and Domino’s.
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