New multi-use venue 'Maidenhead can be proud of' could open in the town centre

A ‘modern interactive gaming venue’ may open in Maidenhead High Street if the Royal Borough approves it – intended to ‘offer something genuinely different for the town’.

Hospitality company Berkshire Sport and Leisure has applied for a new premises licence for a new venue called Level 90.

It would be based at 87 Maidenhead High Street, where the former Barbell Lounge was.

Specifically, Berkshire Sport and Leisure wants permission to sell alcohol, serve late-night refreshment and lay on entertainment.

Permission is sought to sell alcohol – for both drinking inside the venue and for taking away – from 10am to 3am on Friday and Saturday.

The application also covers the sale of alcohol across shorter hours from Monday to Thursday and on Sunday, between 10am and 11pm.

Licences for ‘regulated entertainment’ can include live shows, a DJ, or showing films.

Regulated entertainment at Level 90 would take place indoors only, between 10am and 11pm from Monday to Thursday and on Sunday.

Extended entertainment hours until 3am are proposed on Friday and Saturday, matching the hours for the sale of alcohol.

A RBWM spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the basement would be used as a ‘late-night bar with live and recorded music’ during the evening.

No regulated entertainment has been applied for on the ground floor, which would be used as a ‘games bar throughout the day and early evening’.

The council said: “The venue will include a number of retro arcade games and experiential games for customers. This area will be supported by its own bar.”

Meanwhile, late-night refreshment is proposed both indoors and outdoors on Friday to Saturday, between 11pm and 3am.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the applicant said the site would be ‘transformed into a modern interactive gaming and social venue’.

The spokesperson said: “We have applied for an alcohol licence to create a high-quality interactive gaming and social venue that Maidenhead can be proud of.

“The aim is to offer something genuinely different for the town, combining food, drink, games, and social experiences in a welcoming environment that works for families, friends, and groups of all ages.

“On Fridays and Saturdays, the venue will naturally transition into a more grown-up evening offer, with music and live entertainment giving people somewhere new to enjoy a night out locally.”

The spokesperson said that since the COVID-19 pandemic, Maidenhead has seen ‘a real shift in its hospitality landscape’.

“We believe the town needs fresh investment and new concepts that encourage people to spend time locally rather than travelling elsewhere,” the spokesperson said.

“This type of experience led venue, focused on social interaction rather than just drinking, is exactly what many town centres are now moving towards.”

At Level 90, there would be a ‘strong emphasis on responsible operation’, the spokesperson added.

Some of the proposed conditions that are part of the application include a CCTV system to be installed; and a designated ‘welfare safe space’ for customers.

Proposed conditions also specify a ‘winding down’ period from 2.30am onwards – a time deliberately run at a lower intensity to help customers leave the venue gradually and calmly.

This can include no new customers admitted, a ‘last orders’ period, entertainment wrapped up, or music volume reduced, for example.

Residents can submit their comments to the application until March 26.