Plans to create roof terrace at STACK Whitley Bay given the green light

North Tyneside Council approved plans to create a roof terrace at the new STACK Whitley Bay development on Wednesday, September 27.

Proposals to create a STACK at the 113-year-old Empress Ballroom were revealed in May and now the scheme is one step closer to becoming a reality with the approval of the external roof terrace.

Built in 1910, the Ballroom, which regularly hosted upwards of 750 dancers, went on to become the Carlton Club bingo hall before lying empty and falling into disrepair.

The previous owner had attempted to turn the listed building into a leisure space but those plans had to be shelved due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Neill Winch, CEO of STACK, has expressed his delight at the development’s latest outcome.

He said: “We are committed to creating a fantastic leisure venue in Whitley Bay which we believe will be a huge asset to the town.

“And we are continuing to work with North Tyneside Council to gain full approval for all internal changes to the listed building.”

Mark Holmes, the building’s landlord, highlighted what the development could bring to Whitley Bay should it be approved by North Tyneside Council.

He added: “There has been lots of hard work behind the scenes in conjunction with Stack and North Tyneside Council and now we have agreement for the outdoor terrace which will be a great addition to the whole exciting development.

“This is a large private investment in the area in an iconic building and we are looking forward to showing it to the public as this now helps make the whole project viable for the long term as we move closer to providing a great quality entertainment venue for Whitley Bay.”

Read Newcastle’s news on the go with our free email newsletters - bringing the headlines to your inbox. Catch up on the day’s news and sport and enjoy even more from the NewcastleWorld team. Visit our website here to find out more and sign up.

STACK has said that the Whitley Bay venue would follow the lines of the company’s signature look, which includes a stage for live entertainment, street food from local vendors and bars.

The company is becomign oen of the UK’s fastest growing leisure brands and already has a successfull venue at STACK Seaburn in Sunderland.

STACK also has two new schemes underway in Newcastle, including the creation of a fanzone in conjunction with Newcastle United.