eSports gaming centre planned for Middlesbrough

Plans have been revealed to create an eSports gaming centre in Middlesbrough’s Captain Cook Square as part of the location’s wider push to bring a leisure destination to the town.The Wired Lobby has submitted an application for the venue, which is currently a vacant Peacocks store, which would include gaming PCs, consoles, racing simulators and gaming areas.The centre would also be fully licenced and serve food and drinks, as well as acting as a social hub with common seating areas.The application follows recently approved plans to transform the former TJ Hughes in to centre to a bowling, indoor golf and go-karting venue.As part of the application, there will be internal and external alterations including a replacement shopfront and use of a pedestrianised area to front as a café terrace.A document accompanying the proposal states that the eSports market is estimated to be worth about £2.89bn by 2025.The proposal also comes in the wake of The British Esports Association (BEA) has announcing that it will open a performance and education campus at Riverside Sunderland which will help to create new jobs and provide a tourist boost for the region.