Escape room plan for Darlaston industrial unit denied
Thrill-seekers have been dealt a blow after proposals to create an ‘escape room’ in a Darlaston industrial unit were rejected.
Applicant Carys Chamberlain had wanted to create a new action-packed game world in disused space within the unit at Darlaston Central Trading Estate, in Salisbury Street.
But the plans have been thwarted by Walsall Council planning officers who said the unit is safeguarded for industrial use and that no evidence had been provided to suggest it couldn’t continue as such.
They also said the applicants hadn’t demonstrated there were no better alternative sites for such a facility nearer to a town centre.
Escape rooms have become increasingly popular over the last few years and see contestants take part in fast-paced activities to work out how to get out of the scenario they are in.
In the application, Ms Chamberlain said the whole unit was being rented out by her partner as storage for his building business HD Contracts.
But she said a section of the unit, which has a separate access of its own, was disused and had been empty for a number of years.
Had the proposal been successful, the new escape room would have created at least five new jobs. As well as the escape room facility, there would have been a room that could be booked out for special occasions or for people to play games such as Warhammer.
She said it would have operated on a booking system, opening 10am to 10pm for weekends and Bank Holidays and 4-10pm Monday to Fridays.
Ms Chamberlain said: “There is a big following of people who enjoy this types of social activities and venues to host these are activities are always welcome as they are seeing huge growth in group numbers and not able to accommodate the demand.”
The planners’ decision notice said: “The proposed use falls within an area safeguarded for local quality industry employment use.
“No evidence has been provided to demonstrate that there is no reasonable prospect of the site continuing to be used for local quality industry purposes.
“The introduction of a leisure use would dilute this cluster of safeguarded employment uses and has potential to constrain the continued operation of businesses in this allocated employment area.
"This application has failed to demonstrate that there are no sequentially preferable sites that could accommodate the proposed leisure use within a town, district or local centre, or edge of centre location.”
