Former shop could be turned into late night sports bar with karaoke

If approved, the bar could create up to 18 new jobs

A former department store could be turned into a sports bar and restaurant. Baileys Bar is seeking a change of use for the former Beales store in St Neots High Street.

The applicant proposes to change the first floor of the building into a sports bar and restaurant, and use the second and third floors for access and ancillary use. The change is intended to “secure the viable use of an underutilised upper floor within the town centre”.

Beales has been closed for several years. Part of the wider building is already used by other businesses, including a gym on the ground floor.

The first floor is vacant and the second floor is used as staff offices. If approved, the sports bar will include a restaurant with bar seating, dining areas, games, entertainment zones, a kitchen and toilets. The applicant also wishes to hold “occasional” live music events, background music during normal operating hours and karaoke facilities within acoustic pods.

The plans added: “Live music will take place on an occasional basis only and will be managed as part of specific events rather than as a continuous late-night music venue. The karaoke pods are self-contained and designed to contain sound internally, significantly limiting breakout into surrounding areas.”

The proposed opening hours are 9am until midnight from Mondays until Saturdays and 10am until 11pm on Sundays. On selected Saturdays, the bar could stay open until 1am. The bar could create up to 12 jobs for front of house staff and between three and six jobs in the kitchen.

To manage the club’s operations and avoid disruption, there will be: supervision of entry and exit points, management of dispersal at closing time, control of music levels and no dedicated external entertainment areas.

The applicant will not have to create new openings, as they will use existing ones. They added: “Customer access is via the existing Huntingdon Street entrance and stairwell.

“This entrance is already established and avoids introducing new openings or circulation routes within the listed fabric. An existing passenger lift provides access for customers between floors, ensuring inclusive access to the first-floor venue. Servicing and deliveries will continue to take place from the rear service area via Tebbutts Road, utilising the existing service lift to the first floor.”