by Emma
8. December 2008 02:52
Plans of a full House will not be good news to bingo club members in DudleyThe old Forum bingo club in Commonside, Pensnett, has become an eyesore and developers want to build seven townhouses on the site. Once at the heart of the social scene, the building has fallen into disrepair since closing two years ago and become a magnet for vandals. It was a cinema before becoming a bingo hall and was in use for more than 40 years.
Shropshire-based couple Mr and Mrs Andrews have submitted the application to Dudley Council and it will be considered by planning officers in the next few months.
Under the latest plans the building would be knocked down to make way for seven, two-storey properties. The three-bedroom homes would be designed to match existing houses to the left of the prospective development. It is the second time in 12 months developers have attempted to raze it to the ground, a previous application for 21 homes being withdrawn last year.
A report submitted as part of the planning bid states “the new development will transform a site which is currently in a state of severe disrepair into a new attractive space and add value to the roadside aesthetics of the area”.
It continues that the new build will “bring increased value and satisfaction to local residents” and “improve the overall appeal of the immediate surrounding area”.
Councillor Karen Jordan, ward member for Brockmoor and Pensnett, said the bingo hall site was crying out for redevelopment. However she added she would be consulting residents about the plans before deciding whether to back the proposal.
If the housing scheme gets the go-ahead it would be the latest landmark in the area to be lost. Plans to demolish the nearby Fish Inn pub for 14 new homes were approved earlier this year.
“The site is an eyesore and needs something doing to it,” she said. “It has been lying empty for a long time, at least a couple of years, and needs redevelopment.”
Members of the Pensnett Social Welfare Centre pub spoke out over the previous application, over fears people living there would be disturbed by noise from their premises.
If you would like to list your UK Bingo Club here please email emma@ltdpoker.com
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