Plan to bring vacant city ex-casino site into use

A casino building which closed more than eight years ago could be brought back into use after plans were submitted for one of Bradford's largest vacant units.

The 2,330 sq m (25,000 sq ft) space at the Leisure Exchange has been vacant since Grosvenor Casino shut in May 2018.

Now a planning application has been submitted to Bradford Council by Legal and General Leisure Fund for a change of use from casino to leisure – an umbrella term that includes indoor sport, recreation and fitness.

The application said the change of use would restore the "vitality and viability" of the unit.

The complex currently includes a Holiday Inn Express, Hollywood Bowl, Cineworld and Nando's alongside Funzy, a children's inflatable play park.

"The use is fully consistent and complementary to other established uses within the Leisure Exchange," the application said.

The application includes little detail of what business would be based in the unit, and when the Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Legal and General for more information a spokesperson said they were not able to comment.

A decision on the application is expected in August.

Elsewhere in the Leisure Exchange, an application has been submitted to transfer the Grosvenor Casino's licence to the former Marco & Carl restaurant.

The Gaming Group Limited and Grosvenor Casino (GC) Limited have both submitted applications to Bradford Council to transfer the unit's casino licence to Unit A2 at the Leisure Exchange, which has stood empty for several years.

The LDRS contacted Grosvenor Casinos for more details of their plans for that unit.

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