(Image: Google Maps)
What is the Public Notice Portal?
The Public Notice Portal carries statutory public notices published in local newspapers and is the fastest and most effective way of finding out what is happening in YOUR neighbourhood.
Search the Public Notice Portal
A £5 million bingo venue is set to bring new life to a long-vacant retail unit after plans were approved.
Club 3000 Bingo will transform the former TK Maxx unit at Sunderland’s The Bridges Shopping Centre into its 25th UK location, and only the second in the North East, following its Peterlee branch.
The development, expected to create around 40 full-time equivalent jobs, was approved by Sunderland City Council’s planning department last month.
Club 3000 Bingo said it plans to "invest in high-quality venues and expand access to modern bingo entertainment across key regional locations."
The company added its intentions to "deliver substantial economic benefits, including significant private investment and the creation of job opportunities."
The new venue is set to open in early 2027, subject to final approvals.
The project is part of a broader push to revitalise the city centre, with separate plans in place to convert the neighbouring former Debenhams store into an indoor go-karting attraction.
Planning officers said the bingo hall would support a mix of employment opportunities, including service, clerical, supervisory, and managerial roles.
They said the venue would make "a significant positive contribution to the vitality and vibrancy of the city centre."
Read More:
The site is described as "highly accessible," with strong public transport links and relaxed parking requirements under the S2 City Centre parking zone.
Developers believe the arrival of Club 3000 will boost evening footfall and help diversify the city centre’s leisure offering.
They said the move would "secure the beneficial use of a prominent unit, support the diversification of Sunderland city centre, and contribute positively to its vitality, viability, and long-term resilience."