A 24-hour gymnasium looks set to become a key feature of Halifax’s Broad Street Plaza.

Pure Gym has been given approval to put up signs and logos.

The company was set up in 2009 and has more than 30 outlets throughout the country including London, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester.

Each gym contains the latest equipment including cardio vascular and body core platforms, weights, treadmills, indoor cycles, rowing machines and steppers.

It is two years since work began on the £50 million Broad Street Plaza and it is expected to open in June.

The biggest attraction will be the Vue multi-screen cinema. There is also a 100-bed Premier Inn hotel and restaurant, a 400-space multi-storey car park and a variety of eateries, including Frankie & Benny’s, Pizza Express, Nando’s and J. D. Wetherspoon’s.

NHS Calderdale is setting up a health centre on the site to replace the nearby Laura Mitchell Clinic and Calderdale Council is taking space for a customer services office to replace the facilities at Northgate House.

A ten pin bowling alley had been planned but the operators withdrew last year.

The developers, Gregory Projects, estimate that 220 people will eventually work in the various businesses at the plaza which could be worth about £8 million to the local economy.

Michay Matthews, the manager of Marketing Halifax, said: “It will be a fantastic boost for the town’s night life and should substantially increase the footfall at that end of the town.”

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PARENTS have been left frustrated after finding out their children will have to sit exams in the school holidays.

Trinity Academy, Holmfield, changed its holiday programme so that the summer holiday would be reduced to four weeks with extra days at the spring and autumn half terms.

But this has meant exams fall in the spring bank holiday this May.

One parent, who asked not to be named, said: “When they changed to an academy they said we would not be allowed any time off at all in term time.

“But now they’ve told us there will be exams in the holiday - on the week of May 28.”

Letters were sent to parents last week warning that their child may be sitting the exams but they will still have to wait until March to find out for sure.

The mother, who has a 15-year-old son at the school said: “We booked our holiday last year but now we’ll have to not go or he’ll have to miss his exams.”

Another parent, who has a 13-year-old daughter at the academy said: “It’s a bit ridculous. If the school knows when the exams are in advance they should be changing the holidays to accommodate that.”

She said that she understands the school’s insistence on not taking holidays in term time but the holiday companies peak time price hike creates a problem.

“If the holiday companies were fairer there wouldn’t be such a hoo-ha,” she said.

Principal, Michael Gosling, said: “Our terms are designed to ensure that students get the very most from their time at the academy, for example the new academic year starts in June rather than September so that students are fully ready to learn on their return from the summer break.

“Unfortunately, this change always created the possibility that some of the May break would coincide with examination dates.

“Our website has shown information regarding exam dates for a number of months and and we have also written to parents.

“Although the examination dates do not coincide with the full holiday period, we recognise that some families may find this disruptive to their plans.

“We are working to ensure that our communication regarding examinations is given earlier and parents receive regular reminders.

“We are now advising parents of younger students of the examination periods from year 10 onwards.”