Nottingham turns back on Mecca Bingo

Plans for a new bingo hall in Nottingham city centre have been turned down.

Mecca Bingo had wanted to turn the old Habitat store on Long Row into a bingo hall, but plans have been thrown out by Nottingham City Council which said any such development would “reduce the retail frontage and harm the character and appearance of the Old Market Square.”

Habitat moved out of Nottingham when it went into administration in 2011, leaving behind a near-10,000 sq ft unit behind.

In a letter to Jonathan Phillip of Mecca’s agents Bidwell, Ben Tebbutt of property agents FHP (who are acting for the landlord of the unit) said: “I feel that if the planning application is turned down, then we could be in danger of seeing this property remaining vacant for a number of years to come.”

Mecca said the new bingo hall would have created 15 jobs.