Liverpool's huge city centre Next store could become a gym after plans were approved for the building to shift from retail to other uses.
Earlier this year, the retail giant confirmed its plans to move to another location in Liverpool, but did not provide a date.
It's now been revealed that the current Church Street branch will close in 2022, as the Liverpool Echo reports.
Building by retail management company Redevco received permission from Liverpool Council's planning committee this morning to allow the change of use.
Speaking at the meeting this morning, a representative said there were currently no prospective tenants interesting in taking the entire space when next vacates the building in 2022.
He said: "The context for this application arises from the fact that the current occupier, Next, are due to vacate the premises in 2022 upon expiry of their current lease. Given the difficulties facing the retail market nationally at the moment there is no single retail tenant seeking to acquire such a large quantity of floor space.
"As a result the applicant has been forced to investigate the possibility of accommodating multiple tenants within the building. Whilst there has been market interest within the space from a number of varying occupiers there is currently no final tenancy arrangement for the subdivision of the floors."
Documents submitted to the council state the new uses for the building could include a gym.
The report said: "The leisure uses identified for the basement and upper floors being likely to be a health and fitness centre, and/or a ‘competitive socialising’ leisure operation. If a health and fitness operation was delivered, this would require 24 hour operation. Any proposed leisure operation would require opening until 02:00am."
The building is currently split over seven floors including the basement. The site was previously home to C&A.
Proposals were also recently submitted to turn the upper floors of the nearby Cooper's Building, which houses River Island, into apartments.
