Member Article

Hackney takes tough stance on betting shops

It will no longer be as easy to open a betting shop as it is to open a shop, bank or café in Hackney, after a change in planning law to give councils a greater say on applications.

Following a public consultation on planning last year, the government has now amended the General Permitted Development Order to give bookies their own planning use class.

Previously they were categorised as A2 which meant that a gambling firm could take over a range of businesses, such as a shop, bank, café, pub or takeaway, and convert them into a bookies without needing planning permission. There are currently 58 betting shops in the borough, with eight in Mare Street alone.

“ At last ministers have listened to the overwhelming weight of public and council opinion against the betting shop free-for-all.“ - Mayor of Hackney

Now that betting exchanges have their own use class, any company wanting to set up a new betting shop must apply for planning permission. This means their application may come before the Council’s Planning Committee if there is objection from local residents, therefore giving committee members the opportunity to refuse it. The only exception is if the property is already a betting shop. In this case the gambling firm wanting to take it over would not need to apply for planning permission.

Hackney Council has lobbied successive governments over the past eight years calling for councils to have more powers over betting shops.

Jules Pipe, Mayor of Hackney said the decision has been met with public approval, he said: “This change represents a real victory for Hackney and local government as a whole, and demonstrates what councils and residents can achieve when they unite for a cause.

“Hackney Council, along with local authorities across the country, has long been calling on government to give us the tools to better tackle the blight of bookies in our high streets. At last ministers have listened to the overwhelming weight of public and council opinion against the betting shop free-for-all.

“Our campaigning has never been about banning betting shops, and these changes don’t mean we can now close down existing betting shops. However, they do mean we have a say on future proposals to turn yet another shop, bank or pub into a bookies, and decisions can be based on what best suits our high streets and communities, rather than the profits of gambling firms.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .