Gambling centre plans for vacant city centre building are approved
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A LONG empty city centre building can become a new branch of Merkur Slots after plans were approved by Bradford Council.
The unit, 43 Ivegate, is 19th century, Grade II listed and has most recently been a Coral Bookmakers, but has also been a pub in its long history.
Sitting above one of the entrances to the Sunbridgewells complex, it has been vacant since early 2020 and lies in the City Centre Conservation Area.
Earlier this year Merkur Slots announced that it planned to convert the unit into a gaming centre. The company applied for planning permission to change the use from a bookies, and also applied for a bingo licence.
It would open 24-hours a day and create at least eight jobs.
Approving the changes, planning officers said: "The proposal will see the reuse of the redundant listed building, which will support the long term use of the building, and the vibrancy and vitality of the City Conservation Area.
"Further to this from a review of the surrounding properties planning history there are no other similar uses proposed, thus there will not be a proliferation of this use type within the immediate area."
Separate applications to install new signage on the building, and to slightly alter the listed shopfront, have also been approved.
