A MOSSLEY warehouse would be transformed into five cricket nets and a football pitch for small-sided games if planning permission is granted.
Poesia Property Holdings, sister firm if Poesia Glass Studio on Waggon Road, has applied to Tameside Council to turn part of the building in an indoor facility under the R-Kix Performance Centre brand.
The existing company will stay on site but admits it does not ‘require the rear part of the warehouse which is currently vacant and has been underutilised for several years.’
It even proposes how long it will be open for – between 9am and 10pm Monday-Friday and 9am until 8pm on weekend and bank holidays.
And it believes the conversion will benefit the community.
Documents supporting the application state: “The applicant is proposing to hire out the football pitches and cricket lanes to customers on an hourly basis as well as organising group coaching and party sessions.
“The indoor sports and fitness use would be open to use by all members of the community including individuals, friends, work colleagues, children, football/cricket teams or other sporting clubs.
“The site is vacant and currently unable to make any meaningful contribution towards the borough’s industrial or employment floorspace requirements.
“The proposed change of use will create new direct and indirect employment opportunities for the local community (including three new full/part time members of staff based at the site).
“The hiring of the sports pitches will be carefully planned and organised to ensure that there is no impact on the adjoining businesses that are situated in the immediate locality.
“Being located internally, the sporting facilities can be used all year round and will not generate any excessive noise.
“And they will introduce additional community-related activity at the site and enhance natural surveillance.
“This will help to reduce the potential for anti-social behaviour or crime at the site.”
Slight changes to the area are proposed, including conversion of the current storage and toilet facilities into the main entrance and reception, with reconfigured toilet facilities and a kitchen area.
The car park will also be made formal, with 38 spaces instead of the current 31, and ‘all reasonable opportunity will be taken to restore and enhance soft landscaping within the site within five separate areas.’
The applicants insist the change would not impact other businesses or people living nearby, believing it may ‘result in less potential for harmful noise or amenity impacts.’
They add: “The proposed use will be well managed and controlled by the operators as their aspiration is to deliver a quality sports and leisure experience for their customers.
“There are no alternative sites within Mossley town centre or Manchester Road local centre to accommodate the proposed indoor sprots facility.”
Tameside Council’s Speaker’s Panel (Planning) committee will decide whether to grant or refuse planning permission.
But the applicants have been boosted by the fact the Canal and River Trust – which looks after the nearby waterways – says it has no comment to make.