Bingo hall Nelson’s Palace to be demolished for a car park

This will surely be sad news for bingo enthusiasts who used to visit Nelson’s Palace in large numbers as a big pastime. The bingo hall on Leeds Road is being closed and is likely to be converted into a car park after demolition.

The Nelson’s Palace building was originally a cinema hall and a theatre where film festivals, musicals, theatre productions and other entertainment programs and best performances by national and international performers were being staged.

Way back in 1970 the building had faced threat of demolition but Peter Miller’s fierce campaign averted demolition. The theatre was later converted into a bingo hall and was running successfully until recently. The imposition of the ban on smoking and a steep hike in bingo tax impacted the business to such an extent that Nelson’s Palace was forced to shut down.

The building will most likely be demolished for the construction of a car park to ease parking in the town’s central area. The property had already lost its stone façade during the widening of Leeds Road.

Discussions are scheduled over next few weeks between Nelson’s Palace management and Pendle Council to decide fate of this building.

Residents of the surrounding locality carry fond memories of enjoying their evenings playing bingo games and socialising with people under Nelson’s Palace roof.

The demolition of Nelson’s Palace bingo hall building will be a great loss of a venerable landmark.