Yet another gym could be coming to Burton, making it the latest in a list of fitness businesses which have earmarked the town as a prime location to be in the last few months.

Geoff Gazzard is the latest applicant hoping to bring his business, Crossfit Mercia, to a former industrial unit at Sovereign Business Park, in Hawkins Lane, in the town.

In an application submitted to East Staffordshire Borough Council, Mr Gazzard is seeking permission to change the use of the unit from general industrial and storage into leisure, specifically for fitness and a gym.

If he is granted permission by the borough council, he will keep the 30 parking spaces already there and will create three jobs with the venture.

The gym, which will include an exercise and spin class area and a cross-fit area, would be open Monday to Friday from 7am to 9pm; Saturday from 8am to 4pm, and on Sundays from 10am to 4pm.

It is the latest in a long list of gym which are springing up across the town.

Some of the newcomers include the controversial plan to turn the first floor of The Octagon shopping centre, in Burton, into a gym run by Xercise4Less. The borough council had been minded to refuse the original application for this based on a lack of marketing evidence that it was needed. However, a second amended plan was eventually approved this year.

Another scheme which has come to the town, is The Gym Group which is moving into the former NCF furniture unit, in Middleway Park. It will be the second gym at the park, along with DW Sport. At the time it was revealed a trampoline park was keen on taking up this unit but found it too small for its needs.

Finally, a gym is expected to be part of the third and final phase of the Albion Gateway project, off Derby Road, which also has plans for an Aldi supermarket and a Starbucks.

And we have the gyms already operating in the area including the Meadowside Leisure Centre, Bannatyne's, Fundamental Fitness, Unique Physique, The Workout, Branston Golf and Country Club, and St George's Park.

Budget gyms have been the health club sector's stand-out success story since the recession hit in 2008, with the leading operators frequently cited among the UK's fastest growing businesses.