Former Darlaston bingo hall to be replaced by Lidl, creating 40 jobs
A bingo club which closed as a result of the coronavirus is set to be demolished and replaced with a discount supermarket.
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Walsall Council has granted permission for the former Gala bingo hall in Darlaston to be replaced with a branch of Lidl, creating up to 40 jobs.
The bingo hall, later rebranded as Buzz Bingo, closed in March 2020 as a result of the first coronavirus lockdown.
In July 2020, Buzz Bingo announced that it would permanently close 26 of its clubs. The following month, lockdown rules were relaxed, allowing bingo clubs to reopen, but the Darlaston branch remained closed and was declared surplus to requirements.
The company said the proposed store would have a total floorspace of 20,400 sq ft, with 13,500 of that being for actual retail use. This would be a reduction in size from the existing building, which had 25,500 sq ft of floorspace.
The number of parking spaces at the site will be reduced from the present 174 to 110.
It is the second time Lidl has applied to develop the site, a previous application having been submitted in 2022, and withdrawn the following year. It said a consultation of residents attracted 750 responses, 699 of whom were in favour of the development.
Vehicle access to the new store will be from Park Lane, rather than Steelman's Road as it was for the bingo club.
Michael Brereton, head of planning at Walsall Council, gave approval for the scheme to go ahead.
