MAJOR changes have been announced for a key location in Stroud.

Ebley Wharf - home to Stroud District Council's offices - is also currently the location of several popular local businesses, including the Fifth Dimension gym, and Go Bananas children's soft play area.

Fifth Dimension and Go Bananas currently occupy units 9, 10 and 11 at the site.

However, plans to convert those units into 34 new homes - 14 houses and 20 flats and maisonettes - have now been revealed.

To clear the way for the construction work to begin, both leisure businesses will be moving to new sites.

A new location has already been found for Fifth Dimension, with the popular gym transferring to Stonehouse Business Park, next door to the Costa Coffee drive through. The move is set to take place in August.

Go Bananas will remain at Ebley Mill until a suitable new site can be found.

A spokesman for Fifth Dimension said: "We are delighted to announce that we have now located and secured a new premises for the relocation of Fifth Dimension Health Club, at Stonehouse Business Park.

"Ebley Mill has become an expensive facility to maintain and update with ever increasing utility costs making the site unviable for the business to remain.

"Both Fifth Dimension and Go Bananas soft play needed to find new homes and the mill will be restored and redeveloped to build attractive canal side town houses and refurbished contemporary apartments.

"Go Bananas will remain at Ebley Mill until it finds a suitable new site as Fifth Dimension has done, hopefully later this year or next," he said.

"The new gym will be on three levels and will have many of the same features as the present gym, however nearly all current gym equipment will be renewed including sauna and steam room, new changing rooms and coffee lounge area.

"We are also planning to have 24 hour access to the gym with plenty of floodlit parking outside."

Stroud Sports Clinic will also be moving, with a therapy room part of the plans for the new site.

The spokesman said Fifth Dimension's aim was to have a seamless overnight move in August, so as not to disrupt their members' gym experience.