THE leader of the council has praised the success of a new sports bar, stating that because of it, more businesses are now confident "in wanting to do stuff in the Top of Town."
Speaking at a corporate welcoming event held in The Post Box Sports Bar at the Top of Town on Thursday, November 7, Cllr Paul Harvey explained how the success of the new venue has "proven" to big investors that positive change "can be done."
Earlier in the year, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council opened a £75,000 Town and Village Centre Fund to support independent high street businesses and landlords to make improvements to their shop fronts, interiors and the creation of new outdoor seating areas.
Singing the praises of the new bar, Cllr Harvey said: "We want an area where people can enjoy in the summer sitting outside, we want to get the town centre back here into being a destination to come to.
READ MORE: PICTURES: Inside the new sports bar with immersive gaming promising 'safe fun'
"I came here last night and it was buzzing, it was rammed. on a Wednesday night in the top of Town.
"It was families, it was people trying to enjoy a 13th birthday here, it was lads watching the football."
"Basingstoke, in terms of footfall, is outstripping Reading, Southampton and Portsmouth. Our town centre is successful and we need to sing its praises.
"The big boys are floating, those big investors that led to Festival Place being built in the first place are back in town, wanting to invest in Basingstoke because of what you guys have proven can be done."
Also at the event were father and son Dermot and Jack Gallagher who run All Design Matters, the architectural design firm who oversaw the creation of The Post Box Sports Bar.
Jack told the Gazette that the project was "personal" to him, and felt a great sense of pride to have worked on it.
He said: "It's been a real pleasure to work on what I would consider to be a community project.
"I feel a very personal connection having worked on something that will be beneficial to the community and I wish them all the best with it."
A number of representatives from businesses and charities across the town attended the event which lasted for two hours and showed off the bar with all its games including shuffleboard, pool and an immersive sports simulator.
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