WORK has started on the £2 million refurbishment of a building in Manningham which will lead to the creation of a state-of-the-art 'megagym'.

JD Gyms is transforming two vacant units on Manningham Retail Park to create its first gym in Bradford. The development is expected to open before the end of the year and create 15 jobs.

Earlier this year, the company was granted planning permission to convert the units, then occupied by Mattress Factory, an outlet store for Dreams furniture company, and Jollyes Pet Food superstore, from retail to gym and fitness use.

The planning application had said that Jollyes had been experiencing “difficult” trading conditions at the time, and that the lease on the Dreams unit was coming to an end.

The Council was told that the unit was the only site JD Gyms could find close to the city centre that was a suitable size for their plans.

The approved planning application was for the two shop units to be combined and a new mezzanine floor built, meaning the gym will have a total area of 2,490.5 square metres.

The two businesses vacated the site earlier this year and work started late last week.

JD Gyms told the Telegraph & Argus the facility would have the region’s largest free weights area as well as saunas, a sprint track, prowler track and spin studio.

The current plans are for the gym to open from 6am to 10pm on weekdays and 8am to 8pm on weekends.

The group’s nearest gyms are currently in Batley and Leeds.

Plans for a budget gym, which would have been run by Fit4less in a neighbouring unit in the retail park, were granted last year, but were shelved before JD Gyms submitted its application for the much larger unit.

JD Gyms Managing Director, Alun Peacock, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be bringing a low cost gym with a difference to Bradford.

“We’ll be offering exceptional fitness facilities, an unrivalled class timetable, luxury surroundings and saunas in a convenient location on a highly affordable basis. A gym of this calibre in this area has been a long time coming and we cannot wait to open the doors towards the end of the year.”

The plans are just part of a string of gyms to have recently been granted permission in or around the city centre. Easygym recently opened a £1.5 million facility in the Xchange development opposite the Broadway, and plans for a 1,506 square metre gym unit in the Petergate Mall side of the Broadway, and another in the Forster Square Leisure site, have also been approved, although work has yet to start on them.