Bowling alley confirmed for former Debenhams store

A former Debenhams store is to be converted into a new bowling alley and entertainment centre.

Trinity Walk Shopping Centre in Wakefield has confirmed Tenpin will be located on the upper floor of the building in the city centre.

The new venue will include 24 bowling lanes, a laser tag arena, escape room, arcade games, pool tables and a bar and diner, the authority said.

A spokesperson for Trinity Walk said the news was "hugely exciting", adding that the public had been calling for a city centre bowling alley for "many years".

Councillor Michael Graham added: "I've made no secret of my ambition for a bowling centre right in the heart of Wakefield, and I know it's something residents want to see too.

"This is the future of the high street."

Boosting the city centre's entertainment and leisure options is a "key priority" in order to entice more residents, visitors and businesses to the town centre, the local authority said.

The Debenhams store shut in May 2021 as part of a nationwide closure after the department store entered administration.

It had been based in the shopping centre since it opened in 2011.

Preparation works for the bowling alley are set to begin soon and it is hoped the new space could be open by December.

Retail analyst Catherine Shuttleworth previously told the BBC that as more people shop online, the "traditional town shopping centre" has to evolve.

"Repurposing space for leisure is quite sensible - you need to become a destination for something," she said.

James White, Centre Manager of Trinity Walk, said: "This is hugely exciting not just for Trinity Walk, but for the whole of Wakefield.

"We know the public has been asking for a bowling centre in the city for many years."

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.