Gala Bingo Club in Edinburgh Earmarked for Re-Development

A Gala Bingo club situated in Chorley, Edinburgh has been earmarked for re-development to make way for a major overhaul, according to a report in the Guardian.

We only reported a few days ago about how the Coral group, owners of the Gala chain are actively considering selling off all their land based bingo clubs before floating their betting shops.

Land based clubs have diminished considerably over the past few years from the face of our landscapes and now it appears there could be more turbulent times ahead.

The Gala hall and surrounding buildings in market street, Chorley could be ripped down if plans to re-develop the site go ahead. Demolition crews have already had to tear down buildings which housed business such as cash convertors and an Italian restaurant after a blaze last year, as the buildings were rendered unsafe.

Deputy leader of Chorley Council, Coun Peter Wilson, said: “There are no firm options for the site. However, the council is very interested in promoting the town centre and we are looking at all available sites as part of drawing up our master plan for the future. We want to see the town centre grow and after the fire we would like to see something happen with the site to redevelop it to maximise its potential.”

However, the decision could rest in Gala’s hands because whilst the council may own the buildings they still have a 99 year lease on the property and The Northern Trust has a 999 year lease.

No doubt local businesses will welcome the news of this possible re-development of the site, as the buildings are currently all sitting empty due to the fire.

We are not averse to seeing empty shops on our high street now, as the economic climate we have been experiencing over the past few years or so has certainly taken its toll on businesses, both large and small.

The face of how we can play bingo has also dramatically changed, with online bingo taking the game to a whole new playing field where we can play whenever it suits us around family and work commitments. The mobile bingo revolution is now here, which means bingoing on the go has never been better.