A vacant town-centre unit at 43 Thomas Street, Armagh, is set to become a PlayStation gaming and entertainment centre after planning permission was granted for its conversion.
The proposal will turn the existing ground-floor retail space into a venue with gaming stations, seating areas and a reception desk. The plans involve no structural changes to the building, with the existing layout largely retained and adapted for the new use.
What is planned for 43 Thomas Street?
The front section of the unit will become a reception and waiting area, while the main area will be used for console gaming. The existing corridor, storage rooms, toilet and staff kitchen at the rear will remain in place.
Two existing rooms, identified in the planning documents as “Room 1” and “Room 2”, will be renamed “Gaming Room 1” and “Gaming Room 2”.
The applicant’s supporting planning statement describes the proposed business as a quiet, family-friendly venue aimed primarily at children, teenagers and families. It will offer PlayStation console gaming in a supervised setting, with televisions, seating and LED decorative lighting installed inside the existing premises.
“The proposed business will operate as a quiet, family-friendly gaming venue offering PlayStation console gaming experiences.”
No alcohol will be sold or consumed at the centre. The proposal also excludes gambling, arcade machines and casino facilities, while no hot food preparation is planned.
The proposed opening hours are 10am to 10pm every day. The applicant said the operation would be supervised at all times and was not expected to create significant noise, traffic or disturbance for neighbouring properties.
Planning officers’ assessment
ABC Planning officers said the unit was vacant when they visited the site. Their report noted that Thomas Street contains a number of non-residential properties, several of which have also become vacant in recent months and years.
“The application site is located at 43 Thomas Street, Armagh, which consists of a mid-terrace non-residential ground-floor unit that was vacant at the time of officers’ site visit.”
Officers considered the proposed leisure and community use compatible with the mixed-use character of the area and with the wider aim of renewing and improving streets such as Thomas Street.
They said the centre would bring a vacant ground-floor city-centre unit back into use and provide a facility for young people in the surrounding area. The report concluded that the development would not adversely alter the character of the area or unduly affect the amenity of nearby occupiers.
Residential properties are also present along this stretch of Thomas Street, including a converted apartment at 43a Thomas Street. However, officers said there was no conflict between the gaming centre and existing or neighbouring land uses.
Parking, noise and condition
Planning officers said the proposal would not create a greater need for parking than the unit’s previous use, meaning a refusal on parking grounds could not be sustained.
The Environmental Health Department raised no objection, subject to a condition limiting the centre’s hours of use being included in the approval notice.
Officers also said bringing the vacant premises back into use could help prevent it falling into disrepair, which they warned could harm the appearance of the streetscape.
“The existing premises is currently vacant and would likely fall into disrepair if not brought back into use, which would adversely affect the streetscape at this location.”
The approved scheme will therefore add a supervised recreational use for local young people and families while reusing an empty commercial unit on Thomas Street. The planning material states that no external building changes are proposed.
