MINEHEAD could have a new state-of-the-art gym and tanning studio on the site of the former St John’s Ambulance station, if a planning application for change of use is successful.

Tregenna Properties Ltd of Porlock, which bought the North Road site earlier this year, have submitted two planning applications to Somerset West and Taunton Council to convert the former ambulance garage block into workshops for light industrial use and to make the 76-year-old main building into an indoor gym and tanning studio.

Making the applications on behalf of the new owners, Polden Planning said the buildings were in use until earlier this year for ambulance training. The area was previously a wartime military transport site before being taken over by the St John’s Ambulance. It had now been made redundant.

The change of use would provide leisure activities for residents and visitors from 6am to 10pm. All activities would be carried out indoors and were not anticipated to cause any unacceptable noise or nuisance.

There was also no intention of changing the outside appearance of the buildings and there would also be employment opportunities.

The deadline for submitting comments online or by post is December 22 and West Somerset and Taunton planners will consider the application at a future meeting.