Art Deco former bingo hall goes up for sale again

An Art Deco former bingo hall is back on the market after its owner decided it was too expensive to develop.

The Ritz, formerly Flutters Bingo and Social Club, in Rushden, Northamptonshire is listed for sale at nearly £800,000, two years after being bought by a developer who had hoped to turn it into a multi-use site.

Local groups have previously attempted to buy the building in hopes of preserving its original structure.

Speaking to Annabel Amos on BBC Radio Northampton, current owner Oliver Mcloughlin said the project had reached "a bit of a stalemate", adding the building had "a lot of potential".

Mcloughlin, from Investment Street, bought the site for £400,000 after it was initially listed for £625,000 in late 2022.

At the time, he described himself as being "in awe of the building", which first opened in 1936, and said he wanted to engage with the community on its future use.

During his ownership, plans included converting part of the rear of the building into flats.

However, limited parking provision proved a major obstacle and attempts to introduce underground parking were explored but deemed "not economical".

Mcloughlin said improvements had been made, including enhancing a 240-seat theatre and reconfiguring the ground floor into a large entertainment area while preserving the original foyer and bar.

The 35-year-old added: "Something had to change for it to be in use again. You could knock the entire building down and build housing but that's not something I wanted to do."

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