A FORMER office building in Melrose is to be transformed into a gym/spa by the end of this year.

Douglas Crawford was this week granted full planning permission for the development at West Grove on the corner of Waverley Road and High Cross Avenue to the north west of the town.

The fully-equipped facility, with the capacity to accommodate 40 participants, will operate from 6am to 10pm daily with exercise classes held between 8am and 8pm.

It will be served by 20 dedicated parking spaces on an area between the building and the former NHS offices to the south.

Seven neighbours objected to the change of use proposal, some fearing the parking provision was insufficient and would lead to overspill parking onto the nearby residential cul-de-sac at Tweedmount Road.

Others believed there was already over provision of gym services in the local area and that noise from the facility would adversely affect their amenity.

But in a report to Monday’s meeting of Scottish Borders Council’s planning and building standards committee, lead planning officer Carlos Clarke recommended approval of the bid, subject to a number of conditions.

These included a requirement that the stated opening hours should not be exceeded and that the building, which will be rendered and timber clad, will not, in future, be used for other leisure activities, such as a cinema or bingo hall.

After the meeting, at which the application was unanimously approved, Mr Crawford’s father Michael welcomed the decision and said the new facility would be up and running by Christmas.