Permission has been granted by Crawley Borough Council for PHX Gym (Gatwick) Limited to transform a vacant unit on Gatwick Road in Manor Royal, Crawley, into a gym.

The company, which also runs gyms in Hove and Burgess Hill, had originally proposed a fitness studio offering pre-booked classes as part of its application, however this was later removed to minimise intensification at the site. 

The gym will be 930 square metres in total and located at the rear of the property, which is occupied by venues including a sandwich outlet and a coffee shop at its front.

A transport report said the gym could generate 277 vehicle trips a day, an increase from 193 when it operated as a builders’ merchant’s yard.

However, the plans will provide 17 parking spaces for users, and planning officials said the local roads could cope with any extra traffic without causing problems.

Manor Royal Business District is the largest business park in the Gatwick Diamond area, covering about 540 acres and supporting around 30,000 jobs across more than 600 businesses.

The area is already home to a number of different gyms.