Demolition of Hinckley bingo hall given green light
Approval has been granted for the demolition of an old bingo hall in the Leicestershire town of Hinckley to make way for a new multi-purpose facility.
The old Flutters bingo hall will be torn down by demolition contractors as early as next year, along with the row of shops next door and the disused toilet block in the nearby bus station. The demolition will allow for construction to begin on a new development, which will comprise a supermarket, squash club and Territorial Army drill hall.
The building is not to be entirely lost, however, after campaigners persuaded the developers, the Tin Hat Regeneration Partnership, to incorporate the hall's impressive, 1920s façade into the frontage of their new development.
David Ward, from Tin Hat, said that he was delighted to have established a course of action that seemed to please many people in the town.
"This is an important development in its own right and brings with it new jobs, new retail and new investment into the town centre," he said. "When the application first went in it was to demolish the whole building but we heard the concerns raised and although not a conservation area, we wanted to provide protection for the facade."
Local councillor, David Bill, said the company's intentions meshed very well with the concerns of the community.
"We welcome the efforts to keep the facade as we pressed for this and we are delighted everything has been done to protect it," he said.
