One of Cornwall’s last remaining bingo halls has gone up for sale for £2million and could be turned into housing.
The Capitol Bingo hall in St Austell has gone on the market with a guide price of £2m.
The building in Alexandra Road includes not just the bingo hall but also a parade of four shops which includes a hair salon, carpet shop and bakery along with a 35-space car park. It is not known if the bingo hall will close and attempts to contact the business have gone unanswered.
The Capitol started life in the 1920s when the Art Deco-style building was opened first as a cinema.
The property guide for the building states that the first film shown at the Capitol was Charlie Chaplin’s Gold Rush.
Since the building opened it has operated as a cinema, theatre, ballroom and, more recently, as a bingo hall.
As a theatre it hosted productions by local theatre groups for many years.
The property guide states that it is a “commercial and residential mixed use development opportunity”.
It states that it would “lend itself to both a mixed use and residential development” but adds that planning permission would be required. There is currently no planning permission in place for redevelopment.
However, the sales guide states: “The owners have not submitted any planning applications but initial pre planning applications have indicated that the council would be willing to consider either a mixed use residential and commercial scheme or a small housing development.”
Details of the sale were shared on social media with some people concerned about the prospect of it being demolished and replaced with housing.
One person wrote: “No doubt will be purchased and turned into bedsits or sheltered rehabilitation unit or Wainhomes will knock it down and ram as many houses in as possible with no parking.”
But another suggested it could return to former glories commenting: “They could turn it back into a theatre with the ballroom back for ballet lessons. I danced on that stage.”
The property is being marketed by Christie & Co in Bristol.