1:45pm Thursday 24th May 2007
By Mike Laycock
WELCOME to The Cage - a York bingo hall's answer to the looming indoor smoking ban.
Across the city, many pubs and clubs are preparing for the ban on July 1 by installing giant umbrellas, awnings and heaters, and creating pleasant outdoor seating areas.
But the Mecca bingo hall, in Fishergate, has responded by erecting this shelter in the car park, complete with tightly-knit mesh fencing all around.
The style of the shelter prompted one person to contact The Press, saying: "I don't smoke but I don't think those who do will like smoking in that - it's like a cage."
Players turning up for games yesterday had mixed opinions.
Florence Ridsdale, 77, of Tang Hall, said: "It's an eyesore. It is like a cage. They could have designed it better. I normally smoke when I'm playing bingo, but I won't be going out there for one. By the time you've got down the stairs and gone out to the shelter and then got back up again, it won't be worth it. But I will carry on coming to bingo, and have a smoke when I get home."
Another player, who did not wish to be named, said: "I don't smoke anyway, so it doesn't bother me. But it doesn't look too bad."
The aluminium shelter, measuring 25 square metres and taking up two car parking spaces, was given planning permission by City of York Council earlier this year.
A Rank spokesman said today that Mecca Bingo was doing everything it could to proactively support its customers through the smoking ban.
It was putting smoking shelters in place for customers who wished to go outside to smoke. "Obviously the available space and planning permission granted has an impact on whether this is possible as well as the type of shelter used," he said.
He revealed that the company was also applying for "Redline extensions", which would enable it to put mobile gaming devices in the shelters. "We've just been granted our first licence in Dundee and are trialling the different products available. If the trial proves successful, we hope to roll this out to as many smoking shelters as possible, licenses permitting."
He added that Rank was offering advice and support to those customers and employees who wanted to give up smoking, and was in partnership with NiQuitin to implement a full support programme, starting in June.
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