24-hour Bingo Hall Plan Tossed Out By Council
17 November 2025
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Emily DaltonLocal Democracy Reporting Service
A strategy to turn a previous branch of NatWest bank in Surrey into a 24-hour bingo hall has been tossed out.
The choice by Spelthorne Borough recently followed a dispute among councillors and opposition from homeowners who explained the concept as "the last straw" for Staines town centre.
The proposition was to transform the uninhabited listed structure's ground floor into a 61-seat adult-only bingo hall operating around the clock - a relocation which developers Sunni Ed Ltd declared would bring "vitality and viability" back to the area.
But some dissenters questioned whether the website would instead be utilized as "an out-and-out betting hall".
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, preparing documents indicated that, had the job been greenlit, the designers had planned to get a betting licence before opening.
As part of the licensing process, a danger evaluation would have then been carried out.
Councillor Denise Saliagopoulos called the plan "outrageous", saying: "We're decreasing a slippery slope.
"Why would anyone want to play bingo 24 hours a day?" asked Councillor Chris Bateson.
"I can't imagine a couple saying at 10pm, 'Let's go and play bingo'."
Ward councillor Howard Williams said the proposition broke regional policy designed to safeguard shopping spaces in Staines town centre, while numerous others included that the adult-only location would do little to support an inclusive, family-friendly area.
Its result on issues like the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) already in location on the High Street was likewise pointed out.
However, some did concede that bringing the building back into use could help produce tramp, while previous discuss the application recommended possibly repurposing it for community benefit.
Other ideas consisted of turning it into a post workplace, a cultural centre, a health and wellness center or independent shops.
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