The bingo hall in Camden Town will be demolished

IT’S official – the bulldozers are going in to knock down the bingo hall in Camden Town.

A demolition date looms after councillors needed barely 10 minutes to give planning consent to the Camden Xchange scheme, which is set to transform the site at the end of Inverness Market and the adjacent cinema building in Parkway.

New housing will include 244 student studio flats and 49 new homes classed as “affordable”.

New units for shops and restaurants have been mapped out.

There will be a new entertainment space, although the nature of this, and whether it will be a cinema or not, will be decided later.

Developers said they wanted to start as soon as possible and that this could be a ‘missing jigsaw piece’ in Camden Town’s development.

Mecca shut down its bingo operation in 2024, while the Odeon has now clarified that its final film screenings will take place next month.

The Secret Cinema group were briefly interested in taking over the bingo hall for an interactive theatre space but later walked away from the deal.

The only question raised at Camden’s planning committee when the scheme was given the green light at a meeting just before Christmas was about the length of student housing tenancies.

The final decision to approve the overhaul was supported unanimously by panel members.

How the new development will look

There was little opposition from people living and working nearby, beyond concerns about the likely disruption caused by building works and how the new entertainment venue would be managed if it secures a late licence.

Jake Travis, who runs the popular record shop Out On The Floor, which has been trading in Inverness Street since 1989, said last year: “Anything would be better than what is there now. It is a very large space inside and should be used for something positive.

“Having 250 student beds could be good for the traders here, but there is also the fear that a new development could impact on rents and rates. It has to be balanced. We knew bingo wasn’t a good use any more. People working there said takings were very low.”

A new arts and entertainment vcnue will be part of the scheme

The Camden Vision group behind the plan is led by Chris Shaw, with long connections to Camden and a member of the business interest group Camden Town Unlimited.

He said: “The unanimous approval from Camden Council based off high levels of local support marks an exciting moment for Camden Town Xchange and the future of this iconic site.

“We’re eager to continue this collaboration as we deliver this missing part of the Camden Town jigsaw and will keep the community updated throughout the journey.”

Philip Turner, executive director at architects AHMM, commented: “The site provides us with a rare opportunity for a pair of significant contemporary buildings to augment the established mix of distinct and characterful architecture in Camden Town centre.”

The final film to be shown at the Odeon is scheduled for February 24.

It first opened in 1937 and missed out on Grade II-listing in the 1990s due to extensive changes made to the building.