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Total Fitness to turn into hardware store (From Warrington Guardian)
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Total Fitness to turn into hardware store
9:09am Monday 15th October 2012 in News
Total Fitness on Winwick Road
AN application has been submitted to turn the former Total Fitness site on Winwick Road into a major homeware store.
If passed The Range - a retailer that offers 16 departments including; DIY, homewares, furniture, lighting, arts and crafts, and garden - is set to open there.
Warrington Borough Council will now consider the application which was submitted on October 1 by developer Robert Foden.
He bought the land on September 21 and will now look to rent it to The Range, with a 15 year lease mooted.
Mr Foden said: “The emphasis on why they were chosen is they are going to create 120 jobs which is a massive plus for the area.
“We are desperate for employment in Warrington.
“Now it is down to the local councillors to see if we can get this opportunity.”
Mr Foden refused to disclose how much he paid for the site.
He claims that Total Fitness was not able to renew its lease because it was struggling to pay rent of £963,000 a month.
The gym closed suddenly on September 2 without warning, prompting an angry backlash from members.
He said bosses were offered the chance to stay open until the planning application was completed, but instead chose to shut down.
“They could not sustain it because there were not enough members,” said Mr Foden.
“I think they had space for 5000 members but only had around 700 by the end.
“Effectively Total Fitness is and was a dinosaur in as much as the building was far too big for the amount of members that they had.
“When Pure Gym opened that was the first nail in the coffin.
“When Warrington Borough Council developed Orford Park that was the final nail in the coffin.
“It was offered to me because it’s the nature of my business to develop it and because I’m known in Warrington.
“This was an opportunity I felt was right and decided it was time to move it on.”
Comments(13)
moleogod
says...
4:33pm Mon 15 Oct 12
R2D2
says...
6:04pm Mon 15 Oct 12
on hasn't got nearly enough DIY shops has it!! (joke!!)
Winwick Rd will be at a total standstill at weekends if that goes ahead.
cirian75
says...
7:57am Tue 16 Oct 12
someone is having a laugh.
that's an unsustainable rent price.
sure you make money fast, but you tenant goes bust!
cirian75
says...
7:58am Tue 16 Oct 12
you are spot on, traffic will be even worse.
chunkymunky
says...
9:48am Tue 16 Oct 12
cirian75 wrote:why will the traffic be worse than it was when the gym was fully in use? it will still have 2 access points and i doubt will cause any further problems!
R2D2 you are spot on, traffic will be even worse.
Casual Postman of Orford
says...
8:26pm Tue 16 Oct 12
Cheap Mower
says...
8:56am Wed 17 Oct 12
Casual Postman of Orford wrote:you can go in the week seeing as post doesnt get deliverd every day
It will make weekends a no go zone on winwick rd when all the no life's go DIY shopping!
motorhead2009
says...
12:21pm Wed 17 Oct 12
Nick Tessla
says...
1:32pm Wed 17 Oct 12
Casual Postman of Orford wrote:If only us mere mortals could lead as rich as life as you - writing a novel worthy of the Booker Prize and a sculpture for next year's turner prize, coming up with a cure for cancer in the odd free moment - how do you manage to fit it all in with your combined career of jet-setting fashion photographer and stunt pilot - not to mention delivering the occassional letter?
It will make weekends a no go zone on winwick rd when all the no life's go DIY shopping!
Cheap Mower
says...
7:37pm Thu 18 Oct 12
moleogod wrote:nearly 100k a month. . . . u mean 1 million
nearly a 100k a month yeah i think that wrong can WG please clarify this. at that price they would need 36k people to join each year just to pay there rent let alone pay there employees/utilities that can not be right
old-codger
says...
1:54pm Fri 19 Oct 12
defor_dog
says...
8:35pm Fri 19 Oct 12
Its not just another DIY store - if you look at The Range's website you will see that they stock all sorts of non DIY stuff: home, leisure, sports, crafts, pet stuff, toys and books etc.
Traffic is already bad enough on Winwick Road - I generally avoid the area between 3-7pm Mon-Fri.
I'm usually found cutting down Smith Drive...
Casual Postman of Orford says...
1:21pm Mon 15 Oct 12
No wonder Total Fitness went bankrupt!!!