Plans to convert vacant Pera workshop into sports and wellbeing centre

A change of use planning application proposes to convert the building into six Padel courts, a studio for pilates and yoga studio, a wellness clinic with physio sessions, a coffee shop and a co-working space.

The workshop, which is located at the rear of the Nottingham Road site, was built in the early 1960s as part of the Pera technology, research and development facility – it was most recently used as a light industrial recycling pilot plant. The two-storey steel and brick building has a series of small single storey workspaces at the back.

Plans, which will be considered by Melton Borough Council, indicate that the main warehouse will be where the Padel courts are provided, with side walls but open at the top.

The Reformer pilates and yoga studio, changing rooms and the wellness and physio clinic rooms would be situated in the single storey element of the building.

And the cafe and co-working space would be contained in the main area of the site as open areas with a dedicated bookable meeting space.

The applicant, Obstrat Ltd, heralds the plans as a potential blueprint for business parks across the country with the offering of fitness, wellbeing services and social spaces close to the workplace.

The company’s Hamza Bodhaniya said the new facilities would benefit business employees on the site and elderly residents in the approved care home in the grounds, as well as the town’s community.

He told the Melton Times: “This will bring something very, very unique to Melton Mowbray which doesn’t exist anywhere else in the country.

"It will essentially be a business park where you’ve got employees working through a variety of different companies and businesses involved with wellness, sport and food literally on site.

"It’s creating that place where it’s not just about going to work, it’s adding that additional healthy lifestyle and movement through sport and preventative health all in one place.

"Hopefully Melton Mowbray will be the first of a number of these and it will pioneer, where we are seeing Padel explode as a sport, a long-term sustainable model.”

The aim is also to attract specific user groups as well, such as senior citizens, women and disabled people for the Padel Tennis courts and the other offerings.

There is also a hope that people who work from home will enjoy working instead from the co-working space, with the added attraction of social and exercise opportunities close by.

Hamza added: “Pera has been around for 80 years, it morphed from a research and development centre into offering great spaces for different businesses and this will take it a step further.”

If planning is approved, it is anticipated the new facility will be up and running this summer.

The proposals state that the new facility would be open seven days a week, from 6am to 11pm, with variations at weekends depending on demand.

Plans have already been approved for Padel Tennis facilities at Bottesford and Scalford and the borough council will also consider proposals for another one near Wilton Park in Melton Mowbray.