Eyes down for a full house in new bingo hall
There hasn’t been a bingo hall in Fleetwood for eight years but businessman Stephen Ashe is now set to open one on Station Road.
The former Fleetwood Trawlers Supply premises, more recently a furniture upholstry shop, is now being fully kitted out with a bar, bingo master’s podium and up to 180 seats after Wyre planners agreed to a change of use from retail unit to bingo hall with food servery.
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Hide AdAnd the name of the new amenity will be familiar to Fleetwood folk – it’s to be called Barneys in homage to the town’s previous bingo hall on Poulton Road.
The old Barneys, officially named Top Ten Bingo, closed eight years ago after it was clobbered by a deadly assault from the smoking ban and online bingo.
But Stephen says the new establishment will be smaller, with less overheads, and better able to cope in the 21st century.
It is hoped the new business, including food provision, will also bring up to 15 jobs.
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Hide AdStephen, who will be working with operator Newcastle Bingo Ltd, said: “It’s great news that the planners have given things the go ahead. We still need to tick the boxes over the premises licence and the gaming licence but the big one was planning, and the others should follow fairly smoothly.
“We have set up our own Barneys site on Facebook and people can follow our progress there.”
Some of the furnishing have even been donated from the former Barneys set-up.
No exact date has yet been set for the official opening date but Stephen says the doors will open for business in the summer.