A NEW gymnasium could be on the cards for Worcester city centre if planners give the go-ahead to the ambitious scheme this week.

The application to Worcester City Council comes from Shipley Leisure Enterprises Ltd, which wants to make alterations to the former Scala Theatre, in Crown Passage, and create a gymnasium covering about 500 square metres of floor space.

The Grade II-listed building, which is in the historic conservation area of the city, is home to Shipley's Amusement Arcade, a tanning salon and a fast food kebab house, Istanbul.

The first two would remain but the latter would be replaced by a retail unit with entrances onto Angel Place and Crown Passage.

Extra retail space would be created at the rear of the amusement arcade, with the gymnasium taking up space on the first and second floors of the building, where there is retail space which was last occupied in 2000.

Service access would be via Angel Lane and Crown Passage and trade refuse would be disposed of in the yard off Angel Lane.

No representations have been received by residents but the city's conservation team is keen to ensure the alterations to the building do not affect its Grade-II listings or have an impact on the conservation area in which it lies.

The scheme is now due to come before the city council's next planning meeting, being held in the Guildhall at 1.30pm on Thursday, September 21.

Planning officers are recommending the scheme is approved as it makes use of a semi-disused building in the heart of the city centre.

The Worcester News was unable to speak to anyone from Shipley Leisure or the applicant's agents, the Building Design Group, despite numerous attempts to contact them.