New purchase for JD Wetherspoon

Pub Group JD Wetherspoon has unveiled plans to convert the Empire Bingo venue on Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, into a bar. The site was purchased for £1.5m and it covers an area of over 4000sq ft. It is located over two storeys. The proposal has been condemned by local residents and politicians alike, who are concerned that the size of the bar would attract large numbers of drinkers to an area already renowned for being an anti-social hotspot. The plan has also proven controversial amongst the area’s licensees, who see the move as further threatening the street’s independent bars.