Listen to this article:Club 3000 Bingo has received planning permission to open a new £5 million bingo and entertainment venue in Sunderland city centre.
The new club will be in the location of the former TK Maxx store at The Bridges Shopping Centre on Crowtree Road, with the development expected to create around 50 jobs. Club 3000 hopes the new Sunderland venue will open in 2027, making it the operator’s 25th club in the UK. The plans were first announced earlier this year, and with the council now granting permission for the change of use, work can begin on converting the vacant retail unit into a modern bingo hall.
Earlier this year, plans for a new South Bristol Club 3000 bingo hall were approved by the local council.
The new venue will be located in one of the larger units at The Bridges Shopping Centre, which became vacant earlier this year when TK Maxx moved to a new location within the centre. TK Maxx closed its old Crowtree Road store in February before reopening in a former Tesco shop close to Primark, which left a large empty property in a prominent part of the city centre.
Club 3000 submitted its planning application in July, seeking permission to change the use of the building from retail premises to a bingo hall. The application explained that bringing a major leisure operator into the unit would attract more visitors to the area, particularly during the evenings. It would also help make use of a large commercial space that might otherwise remain empty.
According to the planning documents, the development will not require changes to the existing access, servicing or parking arrangements. The location is also well served by public transport, making it accessible to people travelling into the city centre.
The £5 million investment will see the former retail unit converted into a modern bingo and entertainment venue. While full details of the interior have not yet been revealed, the operator is promising a similar experience to its other recently opened clubs, combining traditional bingo with more modern features. It is also good news for people looking for employment in Sunderland, as the new venue is expected to create approximately 50 jobs.
Brian Fraser, founder of Club 3000 Bingo, welcomed the company’s expansion into the city, saying:
“We are pleased to confirm our investment in Sunderland with the opening of this exciting new venue.”
Fraser explained that the company wants the Sunderland venue to be a first-class bingo and entertainment venue that provides visitors with good value for money, modern facilities and a welcoming atmosphere.
The Sunderland opening will be Club 3000’s second venue in the North East, joining its existing club in Peterlee. The operator has been expanding its estate over recent years and currently has 24 clubs across the country. Its newest venues have involved substantial investments, including the £5.5 million Leeds club that opened in 2025.
The Leeds development provides a good indication of what Sunderland players might be able to expect. Rather than simply taking over an existing bingo hall, Club 3000 has been investing in new venues with modern bingo equipment, bars and other entertainment facilities. The company also recently announced a £27 million investment programme covering new clubs and refurbishments over the next 12 months.
The planning approval for the Sunderland bingo hall comes just a few months after Club 3000 received permission to build a new £13 million venue in Bristol. That project will see a purpose-built bingo club constructed at Hartcliffe Way in Bedminster, replacing the operator’s former Broadwalk Shopping Centre venue in Knowle, which closed in 2025.
The Bristol application was approved unanimously in July, despite planning officers initially recommending refusal over concerns about the location, housing land and highway safety. The new Bristol club is also expected to open in 2027, meaning Club 3000 could be welcoming players to two major new venues during the same year.
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