Innovative gym plan for former Chapel-en-le-Frith tyre depot

Plans have been submitted to High Peak Borough Council to change the use of the former ATS premises on Long Lane from light industrial.

Richard Hughes and Christopher Prodromis, who are community on-call firefighters based at Chapel-en-le-Frith, are spearheading the proposed ‘Fitness Station’, billed as ‘not your average stereotypical gym’.

In a covering letter to planners, they say: “Fitness Station is a strength and conditioning gym, which is a new modern concept in the health and fitness industry.

“Gone are the days of treadmills and cross trainers. Fitness station is going to welcome the new modern extreme training, battle ropes, prowlers, sled pulls, tyre flipping, TRX, you name it we will supply the ultimate circuit training gym.”

Since being vacated by ATS, the site has been used as a tile store and showroom and, more recently, as a car repair workshop and car wash.

Building owner Robert Somerset said: “I feel a gym would be a good use for it.

“It has plenty of off-road parking, has a perimeter fence for security, is opposite a leisure centre and the building layout suits the arrangement of a gym.”