Wirral industrial site plan for martial art centre

Apr 26 2011 By Liam Murphy

WIRRAL’S planners are being asked to allow one of the council’s industrial estates to become home to another sports centre.

The Bromborough International Business Park is already the site of a massive indoor cricket centre and another warehouse has been given permission to be converted for indoor football.

Now the council is being asked to approve plans to create a taekwondo martial art centre.

However, planning officers have recommended the scheme be turned down and local councillor Steve Niblock is hoping the committee will overturn this advice.

The application is to change the site from business and industry to leisure so it can become "as a taekwondo centre and retaining existing office accommodation and a small storage area for equipment".

A similar application was refused last year, but a report to the planning committee said: "Councillor Niblock removed the application from delegation on the grounds the proposal would provide a unique training/education facility on the Wirral and would provide employment and employment prospects, the building has remained empty for some time and is of no employment use."

Planners have previously allowed applications for the Sports Excel Academy indoor football centre, which was quickly followed by Eight4Sport’s indoor cricket centre, again using one of the large warehouses on the industrial estate.

The football academy application had to overcome objections from planning officers that the area should be retained for industrial use.

They said the land was zoned for industrial and warehousing use and it should be considered only for industry, despite the building in question being vacant for six years, but this was rejected by the planning committee and the plans allowed to proceed.

The report by planners on the taekwondo martial art centre said: "The applicant has supplied a list of alternative venues, predominantly schools and community centres.

"These have been discounted by the applicant as being unsuitable due to conflicts with other activities, classes cannot be held during the day in schools or after 8pm."

However, it added: "The applicant has not considered town centre locations as part of their assessment.

"In terms of other material considerations, it may be contended that health benefits could be accrued from the development, however this does not override an unsuitable location where there is no substantial evidence that all other locations have been discounted."

The application will be considered by the planning committee today (Tuesday April 26) at Wallasey town hall.