The long-running saga over a new bingo hall in South Bristol has taken another decisive turn. This time, Bingo Daily is delighted to report, for the better.
Following the surprise recommendation from the planning department by Bristol City Council NOT to grant permission for the multi-million pound new Club 3000 bingo hall in Bedminster, the application was unanimously approved by councillors on the planning committee A on Wednesday, July 22.
The welcome decision came after MP for South Bristol Karin Smyth called for the city council’s planning officers to rethink their opposition to the huge new bingo venue, as a campaign to give it the go-ahead gathered momentum.
The Labour MP took the unusual step of speaking out about a planning application in her constituency ahead of the decision this week by councillors on the City Hall committee. More than 450 people wrote in to City Hall to say they supported the idea, but planning officers disappointingly recommended it for refusal, saying new leisure activities like this should be in the city centre, and it would generate excessive traffic on Hartcliffe Way.
However, with Club 3000 Bingo, the UK’s largest independent retail bingo operator, betting big on Britain’s bingo future, which included £13 million for purpose-built club in Bristol, it seems that common sense has prevailed and the exciting new bingo development will now go ahead.
Big Boost for Bristol’s Bingo Community
With an expected completion date sometime around Autumn 2027, Club 3000 has approximately 20,000 members, and 8,000 visited the Knowle venue in the last few months that it was open. Both Club 3000 and Bristol’s bingo fans has been desperate to find a new location in South Bristol, after the popular bingo venue at Knowle was forced into a surprise closure, after 12 years, to make way for new homes.
Patrick Brignall, from Club 3000, said:
“When our hugely popular Broadwalk bingo club was forced to close, our members were devastated. For many, bingo was their main social outlet. But most of Bristol’s bingo clubs have now closed. Ours was the only one left in South Bristol.”
MP Karin Smyth added:
“I am glad to see that councillors have unanimously endorsed a plan that will keep bingo in South Bristol. As I have said, venues like these are valued by the local community as spaces to relax, have fun and socialise across generations. I look forward to seeing further progress with these plans.”
Brian Fraser, founder of Club 3000 Bingo, could not hide his relief at the planning decision. He said:
“We are so relieved and excited that our planning application was approved at last night’s planning committee. We really appreciate the councillors who sit on the committee who unanimously voted to support our proposal.
“We’d also like to thank our local councillors, Rob and Lisa for their unswerving support. But I have to say we were blown away by the number of our club members who took the time to go to Bristol City Hall as our champions, especially those who spoke in support of our planning application. The council chambers was, to pardon the pun, a full house. It was clear that their support was something the committee members really listened to.
“This is wonderful news for Club 3000 Bingo — and all of our thousands of members. We will now get all the paperwork done and get ready to start building our new, amazing, Club 3000 Bingo Bristol which we hope to open in autumn 2027.”
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