Plans to redevelop a disused bingo hall in Chatham town centre are being prepared, Future Chatham has learnt. The former Buzz Bingo in High Street, Chatham, which closed in 2020, has been acquired by Zetland Capital for an undisclosed sum. It was one of 37 bingo halls let to Buzz Bingo that were bought out by the private equity firm in December last year. Donard Homes, Zetland Capital's development partner, is now drawing up plans for the site with architecture practice Pod Architects. It is not known yet how many homes are planned for the site, although a former Buzz Bingo in Salford - which is also being redeveloped by Donard Homes - is earmarked to become 270 homes. A spokesperson for Zetland Capital said: "We can confirm the Chatham site was among the 37 former bingo halls that was acquired. "We are currently considering our options for this portfolio." Donard Homes also confirmed the acquisition made by its funding partner Zetland Capital. A spokesperson for Donard Homes said: “We are still considering our detailed plans for the site, given its location in the heart of Chatham we feel it offers a sustainable location for new homes.” A public consultation will launch once the development proposals are drawn up, the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, Medway Council's 49-space car park at Union Place faces an uncertain future as it can only be accessed through the Buzz Bingo site.
The site of the bingo hall has a chequered history, which was once home to the popular Ritz Cinema. The cinema was later demolished to make way for a purpose-built Gala Bingo in the early 2000s, before it rebranded to Buzz Bingo in 2018. The freehold of the former bingo hall was last sold to Pountney Nominees 1 Limited and Pountney Nominees 2 Limited, both incorporated in Guernsey, for £3.71m in December 2019. Chatham's Buzz Bingo is one of the latest schemes by Donard Homes, which has a growing pipeline of future projects that will see it deliver up to 3,000 new homes a year. The developer is pushing ahead with plans for 374 homes at Bardell Wharf in Rochester, with a planning application expected to be submitted later this summer. It is also currently progressing developments in Bristol, Basildon and Watford.
Simon Rowland
7/6/2022 12:51:59
I would turn the old bingo hall into a supermarket, cinema or indoor market to get people in Chatham
Fiona
7/6/2022 20:04:28
We need more food shops we only have 2 food place in the town
Vajetha
19/6/2022 18:51:02
We need a cinema, supermarket, restaurants, clothing shops so attracting more people to coming to Chatham and saying good about Chatham. Chatham is a prestigious town and not full of chavs.
D Harris
4/8/2022 23:36:39
A long while ago, pre-covid, on our way to The Tap N Tin, we were stopped by a couple of visitors who wanted something to do in Chatham, in the evening, they were well dressed, and unfortunately we had to tell them they would have to go to Rochester, because there isn't really anything worth visiting in Chatham after 6pm.
Dave
2/10/2022 20:32:44
There has always been a bingo hall on site. The old one caught fire and collapsed. A new one was rebuilt.. I remember watching it on fire when I was on my way to school. The old cinema was located on the other side of the road where they have build flats/supported housing. Comments are closed.
|
Archive
August 2023
|