Hundreds of people have been left 'devastated' over plans to close a bingo hall in North Tyneside.
Customers at Buzz Bingo, in Wallsend, were recently informed that a planning application had been filed to North Tyneside Council to change the use of the site and transform the bingo hall into a "non-food discount retailer".
But the news has prompted over 300 objections, with many explaining how much the site is valued by customers and how important it is to many people who rely on the site to socialise.
One person wrote: "Closing this bingo will result in a lot of people staying at home and not have any contact with the outside world. It's more than a bingo it's a place to meet up with friends and enjoy time together."
Another said: "This is my only social gathering. I would feel very isolated without this bingo." And a third added: "I object because losing the bingo will cause great determent to my mental health as its the only place I go where I can [feel] safe as I am almost 80."
The application, made in April, proposes a "non-food discount retailer" which would sell "health and beauty products, medicines, baby products, household products, toys and games, pet food, home furnishings and ornaments, seasonal products, ancillary food and drink products and a limited clothing range." It also proposes a 138 space car park and two electric vehicle (EV) charging points.
But since the application was made, 377 objections have been filed by the public. Among those objecting to the plans is Pamela Keers, who visits the site at least four times a week after her local Buzz Bingo in Cramlington closed in 2020.
The bingo hall was one of 26 branches to permanently close after the company, which rebranded from Gala Bingo in 2018, said it had earmarked sites for closure due to what it "expects will be an unsustainable operating environment for the foreseeable future". If the Wallsend branch was to close, customers would have to travel to Byker, Metrocentre or South Shields for their nearest Buzz Bingo.
The 58-year-old, from Cramlington, told ChronicleLive: "The bingo means a lot to me. You have very friendly staff and it's nice to go out for a night out and see people enjoying themselves.
"The people who mainly go there are pensioners and it gets them out. But it means they're going to have to travel to Metrocentre now and it's a long way to the Metrocentre."
She added: "People won't have a friendly place to go. The staff are outstanding with their customer service and we'll have things like Christmas dinners, Easter eggs and other treats there. It's nice for people to have something like that."
Buzz Bingo Wallsend General Manager, Bryan Maughan, said: "We are overwhelmed by the local support shown to the team at Buzz Bingo Wallsend. We know that for so many of our members, it is more than just a place to play Bingo; it performs an important social function for the local community, particularly for the older residents and women of Wallsend.
"Furthermore, the club supports local employment and contributes to the local economy. We're grateful to our community who have objected to the proposal to change the use of the site "
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