Part of a Newcastle city centre department store could be converted into a 24-hour sports club in proposals granted conditional approval by planners. T J Hughes has been given planning permission to change part of its retail space, allowing it to create a gym in part of its ground and first floors.In one planning report, the council department also say that core aims of providing leisure, health and wellbeing are also being met by creating new leisure and sports facilities. A new full height glazed screen will be installed by escalators on the ground floor, which currently lead from the shoe department into the rest of the store, and a roller shutter will be put in place to close off the store out-of-hours.Card controlled access would be installed at the Bigg Market entrance outside of store opening hours.
