A PLAN to open a new gym on a business park was rejected by the council because it was too far out of the town centre.

Malvern Hills District Council rejected the plan by personal trainer Craig Johnson to open a new gym Matrix Fitness at a former laboratory at the Advantage Business Park off Spring Lane South in Malvern over fears it could potentially harm business in Malvern Link.

Council officers said the planning application had failed some of its planning test because Mr Johnson had not told the council whether any other central locations had been considered.

The council said that despite the unit on the business park being empty, it could not allow it to be converted into a gym when there were still empty shops in the town centre.

The plan could also not be approved until Mr Johnson showed the former laboratory had gathered no interest from potential buyers for at least a year. The council said it needed justification that allowing the gym would otherwise stop the building from remaining empty.

Matrix Fitness is currently based a mile-and-a-half-away in Howsell Road Industrial Estate.

The report by planning officers said: “No information has been submitted to demonstrate compliance with the sequential test in terms of whether more centrally located sites have been considered. In the absence of this information, the proposal fails the sequential test.

“If permission was granted for the fitness facility, this could impact upon the vitality and viability of the existing closest district centre of Malvern Link which currently contains several empty units.

“Further, no marketing information has been submitted as part of the application with no assessment undertaken which successfully demonstrates that the proposal would not limit the range and quality of employment land available to meet future employment needs.

“It is therefore concluded that the development would amount to an unsustainable form of development that would fail to accord with the development plan policies.”