Huge UK train station set to open new £2.5million Wetherspoons this year

A BRAND new Wetherspoons is set to open in London this summer – and it’s going to be at one of the city’s biggest train stations.

Plans have been submitted to revamp London Waterloo in the not-too-distant future, however one new change will be put in place in the next few months.

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Spoons has announced that its new pub, the Lion and the Unicorn, will open its doors at Waterloo this summer. 

The chain is investing £2.5million in the new bar, which will provide drinks and food as part of the station’s social offerings.

An application for a licence for the new boozer was first submitted back in November, last year.

Once open, the Lion and the Unicorn will occupy four units on the upper ground floor of The Sidings, which is described as “the social side” of Waterloo on its website.

The shopping and leisure complex is found in the space below the platforms of Waterloo’s former Eurostar terminal and has shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Soon it will be home to the new Spoons, whose name is inspired by the Festival of Britain.

The festival was hosted at the nearby South Bank back in 1951 and showcased Britain’s arts, architecture, science and technology.

While there has been no official opening date or plans for the pub revealed beyond its name, the company has said it will create 120 new full-time and part-time jobs.

The application for The Lion and The Unicorn from November states: “The premises will operate as a traditional JD Wetherspoon public house with no music or similar entertainment.

“It will have provision of a full food menu from 11.30am to 11pm every day and a breakfast menu from opening to noon.

“There is no provision for outdoor consumption of food and drink. There will be no specific area for smokers at the premises and any customer wishing to smoke will need to leave The Sidings to do so.”

Once it opens, it will join several other companies such as Nando’s, Blank Street coffee, and Lucky Voice karaoke bar already operating at The Sidings.

It won’t be the only pub there however, with the world’s biggest Brewdog also housed at the station.

The huge two storey boozer has its own brewery, a huge curly slide and standalone cocktail bar among a number of other features.

Tim Martin, Wetherspoons’ founder and chairman said: “We are looking forward to opening our new pub.

“We are confident it will appeal to a wide range of people and be a great asset to the station itself.”

Sian Evans, management director of LCR property developers, added: “The Sidings at Waterloo is set to become one of London’s leading leisure and entertainment destinations.

“The new Wetherspoons pub will provide another great reason for people to visit.”

Other proposals for new developments at Waterloo show off new entrances, increased space on the station’s concourses and brand new shops and restaurants in currently unused spaces.

Network Rail and Lambeth Council have backed the proposed developments, which it’s estimated will take 10-15 years to complete.

The designs, created by architecture firm Grimshaw, aim to transform Waterloo in a similar way to London King’s Cross, with “future-proof” ideas that can “be responsive and adaptable to future growth”.

They claim they want to “remove the barriers” the 176-year-old station presents to pedestrians, while planning to have areas for commercial development to fund the ambitious project.

Meanwhile, this UK train station is set to open a huge rooftop pool and garden as part of new plans.

And this is the largest train station in the world.

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