The council has submitted plans for a change of use for the former Frankie and Benny’s restaurant, located next to The Light cinema on Cromwell Leisure Park in Wisbech, which will see it transformed into an adventure golf complex complete with a bar and food.

A planning statement submitted alongside the application drawn up by Carter Jonas explains that while it is envisaged the restaurant will be used for indoor golf, the county council is seeking a change of use to a category that will give it more flexibility “to optimise potential re-use of the unit in the future”.

Unit 3 has been vacant since the closure of Frankie and Benny’s in 2023 and has been marketed as a restaurant without success.

Unit 3 at the Cromwell Leisure Park in Wisbech could become an indoor adventure golf complex. (Image: Google/Streetview)

The statement said: “It has been actively marketed during this period, but there has been no committed interest to date.

“Commercial agents report that the low levels of demand are attributable to poor footfall and the lack of customer demand during lunch hours and weekdays.”

The statement adds that the type of change of use being sought will allow the premises to revert back to an eatery should there be a demand in the future.

It also states that the county council has been approached by a prospective tenant, a golf and pub operator, interested in setting up the indoor adventure golf experience.

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“This use would complement the other leisure authorised uses on the Cromwell Leisure Park (cinema, restaurants) and provide greater diversity across the leisure park that may attract different visitors,” says the statement.

It adds: “Re-use of a vacant unit would create social and economic benefits to residents (new jobs, new leisure experience) and the local authority (collection of business rates, improving business/investment confidence).

“It will assist in increasing footfall around the Cromwell Leisure Park, particularly for the evening and weekend economies.

“The proposal will ensure that a vacant commercial unit in a prominent location is restored to a viable use, helping to lower vacancy rates and visual decline/perception of failure.”

The application has already garnered support from local councillors, with the town council’s infrastructure and planning committee giving its support at its meeting on Monday.

Town and district councillors Steve Tierney and Samantha Hoy have also individually written in support of the proposal.

Cllr Tierney simply wrote: “I support this!”

While Cllr Hoy commented: “I am in support of this. It gets the unit back in use and by the looks of it will be an entertainment venue which will enhance the area.”