Retro gaming fans in Somerset will soon have a new haunt after plans were approved for a new arcade in Taunton town centre.

Austin Wood owns Continue Arcades in Plymouth, which teased proposals in September for expanding its operations into vacant retail units at 36-38 East Street in Taunton.

Somerset Council has now given these plans the green light, meaning the new facility could be open for business before Christmas.

Continue Arcades’ new site will operate on the same free play basis as its Plymouth base, with punters paying £12 to enter the arcade and then playing on the games with “no time limits, restrictions, or additional costs."

The facility is expected to be open daily between 11:30am and 11pm (except for Sundays, when it will open between 11am and 9pm).

“The proposal will bring a new entertainment use to a vacant unit in a prominent position within the town centre," said the applicant. “This type of use aims to diversify the role of the town centre in being a destination for leisure activities.”

Any loss of retail floorspace would have limited impact on the town's key shopping area, Somerset Council said. 

“The introduction of an active street frontage is welcomed in this currently empty unit, which has remained vacant for a long time," a council spokesman said.