One of the largest bingo venues in the UK, the London Palace bingo hall in Elephant and Castle, could have a new home. A fractious debate over its location, brought on by plans to redevelop its existing home, has finally taken a step forward. The heart of entertainment for many in the Southwark area, all eyes are on whether the options can work for the operator and the bingo community.
The operator of London Palace bingo hall, located in the Elephant and Castle shopping centre, has been provided a “detailed list” of possible relocation spots as he continues his discussions with Delancey, the real estate developer which owns the building.
In October last year, Patrick Duffey, managing director of Palatial Leisure, told Southwark News he was “going nowhere” due to the company’s lease running out in 2025, prompting Southwark Council to threaten Duffey with a compulsory purchase order (CPO) that would cut the remaining eight year contract short.
At this point, the demolition and reconstruction of the Elephant and Castle shopping centre was scheduled for 2018, although this has now been pushed back to 2019.
This update came at Southwark Council’s cabinet meeting on 9 May, which focused on work that needs to be done by the developer before planning permission is considered.
The cabinet meeting agenda also stated that once more, in a threat similar to the one made seven months previous, Southwark Council would consider using CPOs to break leases belonging to the Palatial Leisure, which also operates a bowling alley on the floor below the bingo hall.
The council softened this threat, however, by saying it will “require” Delancey to provide a “package of measures” to businesses inside the centre to relocate into the local area.
As a community hub, London Palace’s relocation should be a top priority for the council, with an Equalities Impact Assessment highlighting the potential risk to older people if the bingo hall was forced to close.
Indeed, 63 percent of the hall’s visitors are Southwark residents, with more than 90 percent aged over 45. Of the total visitors, 90 percent are regulars, visiting at least once a week, and 62 percent of visitors identified as of Black/African/Caribbean/Black British descent, a testament to bingo’s power in bringing diverse communities together.
