The Knowle bingo venue told customers it’s moving – and this huge new venue is where it’s going, ‘but there is going to be a period during which we are closed’.
The new Club 3000 location in Bedminster(Image: Club 3000)
One of Bristol’s biggest bingo venues is to move to a new location in Bedminster after announcing it was leaving its home at the Broadwalk Shopping Centre. Club 3000 Bingo regularly attracts hundreds of people to its sessions every afternoon and evening and has been based at the rear of the Knowle shopping centre for 12 years.
But the club has announced it has been given four months’ notice to leave due to ‘ongoing issues related to the car park’, but club managers have said they hope to be allowed to stay longer and are in negotiations with the management of the shopping centre.
In the long term, however, Club 3000 is working on plans to build a new, purpose-built bingo hall on an empty site at the bottom of Hartcliffe Way, near the Parson Street area of Bedminster. The large site was the location for van hire firm Vanbase before it moved a few years ago to Avonmouth, and has been empty ever since, apart from a spell as a temporary location for Enterprise car hire while it rebuilt its premises next door.
Bosses at the bingo venue – one of only two remaining in Bristol – hope to get planning permission to build a new venue on the former Vanbase site, with plans already being drawn up for the new premises.
“The new club – located about two miles from Broadwalk Shopping Centre – will include great food and a bar for Club 3000’s customers,” a spokesperson for Club 3000 said. “As well as the new building, Club 3000 Bingo is proposing a car park for approximately 144 car parking spaces, including dedicated spaces for blue badge holders and electric vehicle charging points.
“As well as ample parking, Club 3000 Bingo is proposing extensive landscaping to bring some greenery and biodiversity into the site, but to also screen the car park to minimise the impact on its new neighbours. The new building has been positioned within the site so it is away from the nearby homes on Wimborne Road and Hastings Road.
“The site has good existing bus services and a pedestrian crossing just 25 metres from the entrance,” a spokesperson for Club 3000 added. “Parson Street Railway Station is located approximately 500 metres northeast of the site. There is a cycle lane along Hartcliffe Way which runs directly in front of the new site,” he added.
The new Club 3000 location in Bedminster(Image: Club 3000)
Club 3000 Bingo has expanded from just a single venue in 2006, to now operating 24 sites across England, Scotland and Wales, making it the largest independent bingo club operator in the UK and third largest bingo chain.
In Bristol, it has 34,000 members, with 3,000 actively playing bingo at the existing club.
Club 3000 Bingo founder Brian Fraser said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have found and bought our own new home in Bristol, and chuffed to bits we are able to stay in South Bristol where most of our wonderful customers live.
“We’ve loved being based in Knowle’s Broadwalk Shopping Centre, but it’s time to build a fantastic state-of-the-art bingo club for our customers to enjoy.
“Bingo is hugely popular in Bristol. For many people it is not just a fun experience – and a chance to win big prizes – it’s also a really important social outlet. We saw how important this was during lockdown where we kept in close contact with lots of our regular customers,” he added.
“We don’t have exact dates for when the new club will be ready to move into. We are seeking to work with Bristol City Council to get our planning application approved as soon as possible. Then we’ll be ready to get onsite and start building our new bingo club.
“This will, of course, take some time. Our best estimate is at least 18 months, possibly two years or so. We are currently in discussions with the owners of Broadwalk about how long we will be able to remain in Knowle. But there is going to be a period during which we are closed. During that time we’ll be running bus services probably twice a week to our nearby Cardiff and Cwmbran clubs. And our customers can, of course, continue to play bingo with us online.
The new Club 3000 location in Bedminster(Image: Club 3000)
“We really appreciate and value our customers, many of whom we know personally. We understand this change may be unsettling for some, but our intention is to get this done as quickly as possible so they can continue to enjoy bingo and socialising at Club 3000 Bingo,” he added.
Bristol Live reported last month that the car park at the 50-year-old shopping centre had been closed because of structural concerns, and the shopping centre is earmarked to be bulldozed in the near future as plans for the new ‘Redcatch Quarter’ residential development evolve.
The shopping centre owners are holding a public engagement on their new revised plans this coming Friday (July 11), after scaling back the 850 new homes they had been given permission for, following an out-of-court settlement.
READ MORE: Developers to reveal new plans for Broadwalk Shopping CentreREAD MORE: Shopping centre car park closed ‘due to health and safety’
In a statement, Club 3000 told its customers it would be sad to leave Broadwalk in Knowle. “After 12 years of playing bingo at Broadwalk Shopping Centre, Club 3000 has received a minimum four-month notice to vacate the premises due to ongoing issues related to the car park,” they said.
“We are actively engaged in discussions with the management of the Broadwalk Shopping Centre in the hope of extending our lease into next year. Our top priority remains supporting our dedicated team of 45 staff and continuing to serve our valued community of over 34,000 members,” they added.
Club 3000 at the Broadwalk Shopping Centre in Knowle. The car park next door has closed and the venue has been given notice to leave as the shopping centre site is levelled to make way for the Redcatch Quarter development(Image: Google Maps)
“Club 3000 has proudly served South Bristol for more than 25 years. The closure of this venue will mark the end of bingo in an area that once hosted four thriving clubs – a sad moment for the local community.
“Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce that we have acquired land in South Bristol with plans to build a brand-new bingo club. Hopefully, if planning permission is granted, we’ll be able to share a clearer timeline for the opening. In the meantime, we are also exploring alternative options to ensure our customers can continue enjoying bingo at nearby clubs and online,” they added.