Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) has approved plans to transform a vacant first-floor office into a new gym in Twyford, Berkshire, despite calls for the space to be used as a library.

In its planning report, the council said that, although it had received one letter in favour of a library occupying the 609sq m (6,555sq ft) space, any use was preferable to leaving the site empty. Planning permission has already been granted to convert the ground floor of the building into a restaurant, and the council also said that Ewan Hewertson's proposals for the new gym would "increase the vitality of the area".

According to the Maidenhead Advertiser, councillor Stephen Conway criticised the the time it took to reach a decision on the new use of the vacant office space. He said: "The council executive really didn't make a decision speedily enough to make use of this chance, which many regard as a golden opportunity to have a library in a central location."