Keeping you updated with respect to Darlington developments
Darlington Borough Council has approved plans to transform The Scala Cinema, and more recently the Powerplay Snooker Hall, into a housing development.
North Star Housing Group is behind the move and they aim to bring 12 three-bedroom homes and four-bedroom properties to the community, with “affordable rent options”.
This is a building with an illustrious history in the local area. Many people will recall it as a cinema, and it’s how the building is still known by many, even if it ceased to be the cinema in the early 1960s. The venue was also a bingo hall and played host to the Darlington Deaf Club and Deaf Innovation group. With it recently being a snooker hall, this building was clearly a big hub in Darlington, and some people will feel sad to let it go.
It should be noted that while the building is one filled with many fond memories for many people, it isn’t a listed building.
There isn’t universal support for the development
While more homes are needed in and around Darlington, not everyone is supportive of this development.
Nine letters of objection were submitted, with a number of key points highlighted:
- Calls for the building to be repurposed for the community as opposed to being used for houses
- How a nearby a club, which is said to be in poorer condition, could be used for redevelopment instead
- Concerns over traffic matters
The BBC news site reports a resident as saying: “The snooker hall is a nice old building that has historically been, and should again be, a centre for the community.”
The Northern Echo also provides responses from residents, and the impact of the development on a nearby chip shop was also raised.
One resident discussed a potential impact on the local chip shop, saying: “[The] business will suffer. Customers use the area at the front of the snooker hall as parking and this prevents disturbance to residents in the street.”
There was also an objection about the type of houses scheduled for the development, with one resident saying: “Do not need any more two bed houses as the local streets are full of these. Three bed adaptable homes would be better for the area.”
Reacting to the approval, North Road councillor James Coe, a Liberal Democrat, has spoken about the approval, saying: “As ward councillors, we were soon made aware that local residents were not keen on the proposal. Following a careful review, we’re delighted that the final plan has received amendments that address the vast majority of the issues raised.”
Contact Anthony Jones for all Darlington property matters
If you are looking for help with any matter of the Darlington property market, it is best to speak to property professionals. No one knows for sure what is going to happen next, so we won’t claim to have all the answers, but the Anthony Jones team is keen to help you as best we can. If you would like to contact us over housing matters, please call us today on 01325 776424.
