Why Escape Entertainment Venue in Chorley has closed its doors suddenly
A popular entertainment and leisure venue in Chorley town centre has closed its doors unexpectedly.
Chorley Council confirmed on Tuesday the Escape Entertainment Venue in Market Walk had shut down.
They said the reason for this was due to the owners falling into “significant rent arrears”.
Alistair Bradley, Leader of Chorley Council said, “Whilst it is regretful an established venue in the town centre has closed, we would only take a measure such as this as a last resort.
“No one wants to see an established business in the town centre close. We know that since Covid-19 and through the ongoing challenges of the cost-of-living crisis that many in the hospitality industry have struggled.
“We have worked with many businesses across the borough to support them through these difficult times.
“The owners of Escape Entertainment have fallen into significant rent arrears and despite our efforts in trying to work with the company over a long period to find a way forward, ultimately this has unfortunately proved unsuccessful.”
He added: “As the owner of Market Walk, we need to consistently balance the financial stability of our business tenants with the cost to the public purse.
“Market Walk is run by the council for the benefit of all our residents and we need to keep this in mind at all times.
“We are exploring options for new tenants to ensure a continued strong offer for Chorley, alongside the existing attractions on offer in the town centre.
“We are delighted to report that there is strong interest from a number of other operators and will update further once a decision has been made.”