Former Sports Direct Fitness on Moreton Hall estate in Bury St Edmunds could become site for builders’ merchant

A former Bury St Edmunds leisure centre could be transformed into a builders’ merchant.

The proposals for the Sports Direct Fitness, on the Moreton Hall estate, which closed in August, would see it turned into a site for a national builders’ merchant, which would employ 25 people.

An application has been submitted to West Suffolk Council by K/S Cratfield, which owns the land.

A planning statement, from agent Wilson Wraight LLP, said the site, in Easlea Road, would have five zones - a yard, warehouse for large items, warehouse for small product store, a showroom and office.

The site would open at 6.30am and close no later than 7.30pm, with a closure on Saturdays no later than 6pm.

If the premises are open on Sundays it would open from 7am to 5pm.

The car park would provide 22 spaces.

Planning policy states that development which will result in the loss of existing amenity, sport or recreation open space facilities would not be allowed unless it can be demonstrated the space or facility is surplus to requirement or replacement for the space or facilities lost is made available.

The planning statement said the policy was ‘not relevant’ as the leisure centre has been closed for some time.

They said a thorough marketing campaign was conducted by Colliers.

A letter from Colin Moran, director of retail capital markets and retail lease advisory, said interest from the leisure sector was thin and the site was unlikely to be suitable for leisure as most of the sector’s provision was in the town centre.

He said the town didn’t have a large enough catchment to support another gym, ‘justified by Sports Direct closing their doors despite numerous years left on their lease’.

Last January, West Suffolk Council refused plans to change the use of the gym to a retail facility after a campaign was launched to oppose the proposals.

Among those involved in the campaign was Melanie Soanes.

Melanie, who is chair of the Moreton Hall Residents’ Association, said the situation was appalling as Moreton Hall was without affordable access to a swimming pool.

As well as the Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre, she said there should be leisure hubs for the south, north and east of the town.

An audit was needed, she said, of facilities the town needs as the ‘leisure side is dire’.

Melanie said there were already builders’ merchants on Moreton Hall.

She said Sports Direct should never have been allowed to close as it had an ‘absolutely brilliant pool’.

Melanie said there were 3,000 members at the leisure centre and they still miss the facility.

“A lot of them don’t go swimming anymore,” she said.

Melanie also questioned the number of lorries which would be arriving at the site, how they would access it and the impact it could have on the Sainsbury’s roundabout.

Carol Smithson, who also campaigned to keep Sports Direct Fitness open, said: “We have many builders’ merchants around the town, I'm not sure we need another, but that's a matter of opinion, as I'm sure there are people who don't think we need more fitness facilities.

“After being a member of LA Fitness and Sports Direct on the Easlea Road site for 22 years, it's hard to imagine it as anything else.”

She added some members and staff have found alternative facilities / jobs, but ‘many are left without, just as we suspected when we fought to keep the club open’.

The site around Easlea Road was developed as an industrial estate in 1983 and a planning application was granted for an industrial unit in 1984.

The building was occupied by Lark Valley Foods Ltd and became a Nissan showroom for a short period in the 1990s.