Express & Star

Former Wolverhampton bingo hall to become storage depot

Once-popular bingo hall closed down last year.

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The bingo hall on Bushbury Lane.

A former Bingo hall in Wolverhampton is to be converted into a storage and distribution centre for a national property company.

Buzz Bingo, in Bushbury Lan,e was shut down on July 15 last year – one of 26 venues the company was forced to close as a result of the prolonged lockdown enforced by the pandemic.

The vacant building, situated in the Bushbury South and Low Hill ward, is now set to be turned into an industrial storage unit for Essex-based real estate agents Broadside Properties, following approval by council planners this week.

A report carried out by transport consultants Banners Gate, submitted on behalf of Broadside Properties, said: “The site of Buzz Bingo at Bushbury Lane has not been trading successfully in recent years.

“Of course, the current Covid-19 crisis has created significant additional financial pressures within the leisure industry. The business has now closed and the owner of the site is planning to convert the building for employment usage.

“A visitor to the site may perceive that the building was originally constructed as part of the Fordhouse Road Industrial Estate. So changing it for general industrial use seems to be a natural choice in reusing and generating income.”

The plans will involve internal alterations to include a small area for offices, rest room facilities, a store room and a new mezzanine floor to accommodate office space.

Additional openings have also been incorporated to allow for HGV loading and unloading bays.

A further report from Victoria Lane of agents RCA Regeneration, acting on behalf of the property firm, said: “The site is approximately 1.01 hectares and is situated approximately two miles north of Wolverhampton city centre.

“The wider surrounding area is predominately residential in nature with the newly developed Barratt Homes development of 217 houses on the former Goodyear tyre factory site.”