24-hour Bingo Hall Plan Tossed Out By Council
17 November 2025
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Emily DaltonLocal Democracy Reporting Service
A strategy to turn a previous branch of NatWest bank in Surrey into a 24 hall has actually been tossed out.
The choice by Spelthorne Borough Council last week followed a dispute among councillors and opposition from residents who described the idea as "the final stroke" for Staines town centre.
The proposal was to convert the uninhabited noted building's ground floor into a 61-seat adult-only bingo hall operating around the clock - a relocation which developers Sunni Ed Ltd claimed would bring "vitality and viability" back to the area.
But some dissenters questioned whether the site would rather be used as "an out-and-out gambling hall".
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, planning files indicated that, had actually the project been greenlit, the designers had actually planned to look for a gaming licence before opening.
As part of the licensing process, a danger evaluation would have then been carried out.
Councillor Denise Saliagopoulos called the plan "outrageous", saying: "We're decreasing a slippery slope.
"Why would anybody wish to play bingo 24 hr a day?" asked Councillor Chris Bateson.
"I can't imagine a couple saying at 10pm, 'Let's go and play bingo'."
Ward councillor Howard Williams stated the proposition went versus regional policy designed to protect shopping areas in Staines town centre, while several others included that the adult-only place would do little to support an inclusive, family-friendly area.
Its impact on problems like the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) currently in place on the High Street was also mentioned.
However, some did concede that bringing the building back into use could help produce step, while previous talk about the application recommended possibly repurposing it for neighborhood advantage.
Other concepts included turning it into a post office, a cultural centre, a health and wellness hub or independent shops.
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