Former Tritton Road shop set to become 24-hour gym

A former Carpetright store at Tritton Retail Park in Lincoln is set to be transformed into a 24-hour gym under new plans submitted to the city council.

A planning application has been lodged by property owner Realty Income, seeking permission to change the use of Unit 3.

The 1,108 sqm unit was last occupied by Carpetright before the company entered administration in July 2024.

If approved, the building will be taken over by The Gym Group, a national low-cost fitness operator that runs more than 240 gyms across the UK. The new Lincoln branch would be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The planning submission, prepared by Leeds-based consultancy Quod, argues that the development will bring a long-term vacant unit back into use and help support healthier lifestyles in the local community. It adds that the gym would create new jobs and attract additional footfall to the edge-of-centre retail park, which already includes retailers such as Currys and B&M.

The proposal focuses solely on a change of use from retail to leisure under Class E planning rules. No external building work is planned, and any signage or minor alterations would be subject to separate approval.

The Gym Group says the Lincoln site would offer a “high-quality but affordable” fitness facility including cardio equipment, strength training areas and changing rooms. 

A transport assessment submitted with the application suggests the move would not increase traffic or parking pressures at the retail park. Of the 443 existing car parking spaces, only 18 would be used during peak gym hours.

The site is also accessible by foot and bus from nearby residential areas, and the applicants noted that many users typically combine gym trips with other visits to shops in the area.

Documents submitted with the application state that the gym would support government and council goals around healthy lifestyles and regeneration of underused commercial space. The Gym Group also highlights its commitment to net zero emissions by 2045, using 100% renewable energy and LED lighting across its estate.

Despite retail and gym uses both falling under Class E, formal planning permission is required due to a historical condition dating back to the retail park’s original planning approval in 1986, which restricts the unit to “non-food retail only”.

Applicants argue that regulations introduced in 2020 were designed to create more flexibility for commercial properties and that the council should give “significant weight” to bringing the vacant unit back into use.

Lincoln planners will now assess the application, which is listed on the Planning Portal under reference PP-14236421.

If approved, work to fit out the unit could begin in early 2026, with the gym expected to open later that year.