Plans for new sports facility in the shadow of India Mill

The application concerns a large warehousing unit that lies in the shadow of the landmark India Mill Chimney, on land where thousands of men, women, and even children once laboured to turn raw cotton into a product that would be transported across the globe.

Located off Redearth Road in Darwen, Urban Future Planning Ltd is seeking permission to change the use of this vacant industrial unit into a modern indoor sports complex, with a variety of activities and amenities for the town’s fitness fanatics.

This includes multiple courts for a sport that has boomed in popularity in recent years, Padel, as well as a changing room, gym, sauna, steam room, and some space for small retail units.

The space has been previously used by a logistics and storage firm (Image: Taylor Weaver)

The proposed development would also create space for other modern exercise activities, including the competitive high-endurance Hyrox events, as well as a large boxing ring.

On a mezzanine level, the applicants are looking to create 156sqm café, with enough seating for around 50 people.

The planning firm states that this development of the long-empty warehousing space would create jobs, boost economic development, and benefit people’s health.

In terms of employment, the plans state that the new exercise facility would create around 10 jobs, two of which would be part-time.

Where the new sports complex would be built (Image: Blackburn with Darwen Council/Urban Future Planning)

They also indicate that there would be no material alterations to the outside of the 2,600 sqm site, which sits in proximity to the Grade II-listed India Mill Chimney and can be viewed from multiple elevations around the town.

Describing the business case to change the use of the site from storage to indoor sports, Urban Future Planning state: “The Applicant’s business model does not extend to the capital purchase of a site but rather towards rented commercial accommodation.

“The nature of the gym and the activities that take place within it, requires a large unimpeded space and a size of at least 1,000 sqm to accommodate the gym and padel apparatus and associated admin and WC/changing facilities.”

Property listings for the site indicate that annual rent charges for the site, which requires a minimum three-year lease, would be around £110,000. But the application infers that this will not be an issue.

While the external appearance of the large warehousing space will not change, extensive repairs and improvement works to the inside of Tower Business Park’s Unit 2 will take place as part of the development.

“Market demand for space of this specification and condition within East Lancashire is considered limited, with there being few tenants able to afford the expensive refurbishment for its current use and size,” the application claims.