A NEW fitness centre and sports store is expected to be unveiled in the middle of Burnley over the next 12 months.

DW Fitness has confirmed it is looking to open both a gym and retail store in the former JJB premises at the corner of St James Street and Hammerton Street.

The chain, run by Wigan FC chairman and former Blackburn Rovers player Dave Whelan, has two gyms already in East Lancashire.

But the venture would be the first locally outside of Blackburn, where there are premises at Guide and off Lower Audley Street.

Coun Shah Hussain, the council’s regeneration cabinet member, said: “It is good to see positive developments coming to Burnley like DW Fitness, to replace what used to be JJB Sports.

“It is encouraging to see and hopefully, with the gym also, it will improve footfall in that part of the town centre,”

But one town centre retailer has decided to call it a day, with Evans due to close their Charter Walk branch in mid January.

Around a dozen staff are thought to be affected when the Arcadia Group store shuts on January 14. The chain shut its store in Blackburn recently but still has a concession in the town’s BHS store.

Arcadia said they were waiting for ‘information from their property section’.

Coun Hussain added: “Just recently we had Cyber Monday, where online retailers were reporting recordbreaking sales and this is what high street retailers have to compete with.”