A former bowling alley and theatre that has stood in Newcastle’s West End for more than a century could soon be turned into flats.
Plans have been revealed to convert the closed bowling alley in Westgate Road into housing, after it shut down during the Covid pandemic. Capital Properties Solutions has lodged proposals with Newcastle City Council to partly demolish and redevelop the landmark site, most recently known as The Bowl, into a 68-bedroom house in multiple occupation (HMO) and seven apartments.
The firm’s planning application argues that the move would “make efficient use of a redundant, disused building” and “deliver high quality shared accommodation” aimed at students and professionals. The once-popular site can trace its history back to 1911, when it originally opened as the Brighton Electric Theatre.
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That 767-seat theatre was converted into a cinema 1947 and then became a 10-pin bowling alley in 1963. MFA Bowl closed down in 2018, but it was later relaunched as The Bowl.
But the business suffered a turbulent period once Covid hit, entering liquidation in 2020 before new owners stepped in to save the site yet again. However, the devastating impact of the pandemic on the leisure sector proved too much for the bowling alley and it was rendered “not financially viable to re-open”.
The new planning application adds: “The application proposes the re-use of an existing vacant building, and its renovation, in a manner which makes the most efficient use of a highly sustainable and accessible site. The proposed design reflects the character of the surroundings in terms of scale and materials.
“The development of the site not only provides additional, much needed residential accommodation in a location with good connectivity, but will also create significant economic benefit locally, during the construction phase and the operational phase. Jobs will be created within the new commercial units, and these provide high quality space for new and growing businesses.”
Each of the bedrooms in the proposed HMO would have its own en-suite, but kitchen and lounge space would be communal.
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