SWAT Indoor Paintball
The Business
SWAT Indoor Paintball is a start-up business that will offer a new leisure activity to its customers.
The company’s target market is both current paintball participants and other experience
seeking/leisure activity participants. Unlike other high volume paintball or airsoft venues where
activities are generally centred on shooting other participants in military simulation styled scenarios,
customers at SWAT Indoor Paintball will be using paintball markers/guns to shoot at targets (in a
competitive and controlled environment) which will be placed in various arrangements and locations
within the different activity areas simulating various scenarios. Participants will be competing
against each other based on accuracy and the time taken to complete certain scenarios.
Capacity will be initially limited to a maximum of 12 customers per three hour session, three sessions
per day (morning, afternoon and evening), seven days per week with a minimum of 2 hours between
sessions. This is to ensure there is ample on site customer car parking available for each session. The
maximum number of participants is planned to be increased to 20 at a future date after 6 months
trading has been completed.
As with other paintball venues, personal protective equipment will be worn and paintball
markers/guns will only be permitted in the designated activity and storage areas and will not be
permitted to be taken into office, reception, change rooms, toilets, briefing room, first aid area or
any other non-activity area. All target areas that will be shot at will have a backstop (wood, steel or
netting construction) that will prevent any paintballs being shot at any of the buildings perimeter
walls or roofing.
Waste generated by the business will mainly consist of cardboard packaging and the biodegradable
remnants of paintballs. This will be collected by a commercial waste collection company via a
wheeled bin (estimated to be 1.5m wide x 1m deep x 1.4m high)that will be moved into the car park
on collection days and stored down the right hand side of the building at other times.
Business Housing Requirements of the Host Building
The business is to be located close to Leeds City. The business requires a footprint of 700m2 to
850m2, an internal minimum unobstructed height of 4.5m, the ability for motor vehicles to be
moved into the activity areas as required and 20 dedicated on-site parking spaces and bicycle
parking. The foot print size is due to the nature of the activity and the internal height is to facilitate
an elevated walkway that is an essential requirement to observe participants and provide
supervision, direction and guidance from during certain scenarios in each session. Motor vehicle
access is required to enable them to be used as props for certain scenarios and a minimum of 20
dedicated car parks and bicycle parking within the confines of the site is to ensure the business does
not impact on the current on-street/other car parking availability in any given area which may be a
consideration for planning approval given the business is planned to operate during the day and into
the evening. The other important business housing requirement to enable the business to be viable
and deliverable is the annual rental rate. As with many start-up businesses, SWAT Indoor Paintball is
funded from savings alone as finance was not able to be secured from banks and other finance
providers due to being a start-up with no trading history or suitable assets to offer as security.
Town Centre Uses – Sequential Test
As mentioned the business is to be located close to Leeds City. The business does not have, nor able
to secure, finance to lease or purchase land and then construct a suitable building. The search for a
suitable host building has been ongoing since February 2014. I have registered with several agents
that have been unable to find suitable premises matching the business requirements and I have
constantly reviewed internet sites such as right move and propertylink.estatesgazettes etc. on a
daily basis. There have been many buildings that have met some of the requirements but on further
enquiries they have been unable to meet others. The main limiting factors have been the 4.5m
unobstructed height, motor vehicle internal access, minimum of 20 on site car parking spaces and
the limited financial budget.
Many buildings that offer the floor space required have been converted to office space and lack the
4.5m clear height requirement, even if the landlord/owner was agreeable to the intended use and
extensive remodelling required. They are also unable to offer vehicle access as many are not on the
ground floor. The warehouse/storage type buildings that have the suitable floor space, vehicle
access and height requirement have not been able to provide the car parking spaces as many seem
to rely on off-site parking or have been unable to agree an affordable rental rate and has been
beyond my financial ability to deliver. The following table provides a sample of properties and the
findings:
Property
Unit 2
Gelderd Rd
Leeds
Unit 3
Revie Rd
Indusrial Estate
Wellington Place
Leeds LS1 4AP
Size/Type
8400 Sq Ft
Warehouse
14 South Parade
Leeds
7870 Sq Ft
Offices
Clyde Works
7974 Sq FT
Offices
3 The Embankment
Sovereign St
8199 Sq Ft
8000 Sq Ft
Warehouse
7000+ Sq Ft
Offices
Assessment
Dedicated on-site parking not available due to HGV
turning circle required for deliveries to adjoining
tenant. Beyond financial ability to deliver
Not enough on-site parking. Beyond financial ability to
deliver.
Does not have 4.5m clear height. No internal vehicle
access. Is only available as office space. Beyond
financial ability to deliver
Does not have 4.5m clear height. Unsuitable floor
plan. No internal vehicle access. Is only available as
office space. Beyond financial ability to deliver
Does not have 4.5m clear height. No internal vehicle
access. Is only available as office space. Beyond
financial ability to deliver
Does not have 4.5m clear height. No internal vehicle
access. Is only available as office space. Beyond
financial ability to deliver
Continued searching and further enquiries have finally identified a suitable property that meets all
the requirements, is financially deliverable and viable and enquiries have found the intended use is
agreeable to all parties.
The property is the former dairy distribution premises being the last commercial building on the
right hand side of Limewood Approach (viewed from the A6120 junction), Seacroft, LS14 1NG. The
premises have been vacant for a number of years and are in a poor state of repair due to vandalism
and require considerable work prior to the business opening. Due to the buildings current floor plan,
including fixtures from its previous use, its appeal to other prospective tenants is severely limited
which I believe has been a contributing factor to it remaining vacant.
If the application is approved SWAT Indoor Paintball will provide a new leisure activity option for the
local community as well as creating new employment opportunities from what is currently a vacant
site and subsequently greatly improve the sites general appearance. I have not found an alternative
site that meets all the requirements to date.
Zoe Barber
SWAT Indoor Paintball