Former gym unit could be transformed into day-to-night ‘café/bar’

Planning approval has been granted to turn an old gym on an industrial estate into a trendy café/bar. 

The venue, which is set to be called Stanley’s, has permission to open in the former KeepFit unit on Dunscar Business Park, in Egerton, creating 14 full-time jobs in the process.

Planning drawings by Bolton-based architect firm Fish Associates show tables on the ground and mezzanine levels of the development, with plans for “portable stage” also included. 

According to further planning documents on the Bolton Council website, Stanley’s will have 96 covers in total, including outdoor seating for up to 24 people. 

There has been great success with the day-to-night café/bar concept in Bolton in the past few months, with the successful launch of Earl’s Deli and between Sunday and Wednesday, Stanley’s will only operate between the hours of 8am and 4pm, but Thursday through Saturday, it will be open until midnight. 

However, the outdoor seating area is only permitted to remain in use until 10pm and “amplified music or vocalists” are not allowed outside at any time, in order to “minimise impact of noise disturbance on the residential amenity of the area”. 

When will it open?

The applicant, Madeleine Moon, is listed on Companies House as being the director of a company called Smashley’s Ltd, which last year had plans approved to open a sports bar in a different unit at the same industrial estate. 

Planning permission still remains valid on that application until April 2027, however Smashley’s Ltd was dissolved via compulsory strike-off last month. 

It remains to be seen whether this will also affect the approved plans for Stanley’s but Ms Moon now has until 14th May 2028 to begin the development. 

Do you think you’ll visit Stanley’s if it opens? Let me know in the comments.