Gambling Harlesden's Future

 

5-6 Park Parade, Harlesden

 

Present premises near the Harlesden clock

 

Location

To the consternation of residents a planning application to convert a premises last used as a betting shop has returned, despite being rejected two years ago. Silvertime want to convert 5-6 Park Parade in Harlesden into two premises - a smaller betting shop AND an gaming centre.  There is existing planning permission for a betting shop but it has not been open since August 2019.

They propose to convert to two units by splitting the premises down the middle  and providing an additional door. The frontage remains the same length but the gambling provision doubles.

Although, rather surprisingly, there was no mention of policy on gambling premises in the Brent Poverty Commission report, residents in their comments are aware of the connection between gambling and poverty.  Here are some of their comments extracted from the Brent Council Planning Portal on this application (Reference 22/1619).

These gaming centres only suck dry the spare cash of those on the lowest rung of society. We can do better than catering to this.

 

Harlesden is an area with one of the highest levels of household debt, poverty and crime. Situation is increasingly deteriorating following COVID-19 crisis and raising cost of living. Harlesden High Street has already high crime statistics. Currently it is not a place to be wandering around after the sunset. Putting more gambling spots on the map is not going to help it.

It is beyond disappointing that Silvertime are able to re-apply when we were all obviously against such a thing two years ago. The planning was refused then. Nothing has changed.

There are two other Silvertime venues within, at most, 500m of 5-6 Park Parade. To have another would contribute nothing to the area other than to dilute it further into an area without direction or care for the community.

This space could be used to create a much more meaningful addition to the neighbourhood. We need to support our youngsters and our elderly and to provide services that are nourishing and creative rather than designed to take money from your pocket.

 

I have lived in Harlesden for over 15 years and while other neighbourhoods have improved our local retail has changed little. Having a large gambling arcade in this prominent spot on the high street sets an incredibly bad example for the students at the three schools that are situated nearby. There is already a silver time arcade next to the Jubilee clock so there is enough supply in the area. What we do need are shops that promote healthier lifestyles not worse ones. I'd like to see the council encourage more creative businesses to help rejuvenate our community. I am also concerned about the opening hours with gamblers hitting the street late at night and encouraging anti social behaviour. I have three teenage children and this will make the streets more dangerous for them as they make their way home.

 

We have too many betting shops and amusement centres already - we know that they lead to addiction and to debt and to poverty. We know that the Debt Addiction is primarily run by the gambling industry and we know that the profits they make far outweigh the misery caused. In America there are no gambling ads on television - and guns are freely available. I think that suggests that even the American state, a bastion of liberalism, realises the damaged caused. Can you justify keeping this as a gambling premises? Clearly there's even more profit to be made from changing the premises to this - do you want to see more debt in Harlesden? It's not a rich area and can't afford it.

Research published in the Geography of Gambling Premises in Britain  LINK   summarises its findings:

While the relationship with deprivation is strong across all types of
gambling premises, it is less pronounced for betting shops (and to some extent, casinos) than other types. Family entertainment centres, adult gaming centres and bingo venues are especially likely to be located within the most deprived decile of areas.

 

In 2015, the Royal Society for Public Health introduced its ‘Health on the High Street’ campaign, which argued that high streets have an important role to play in promoting the health of residents (RSPH, 2015). It argued that certain businesses such as fast-food outlets and betting shops can
enable and support poor health behaviours. Its research showed that over half of the UK population (54%) believe that betting shops discourage healthy choices and over half (52%) believe they have a negative impact on mental wellbeing. The RSPH also developed an index for rating the health of high streets and found that unhealthy businesses cluster in areas of higher deprivation and lower life expectancy. It argued that reshaping these high streets to be more “health promoting” is an important part of “redressing this imbalance”. It recommended that Local Authorities be given greater planning powers to prevent clustering of betting shops as well as limiting each type of business on a high street to 5% to avoid oversaturation (RSPH, 2018). The same point was made by the Portas review in 2011, which noted that too many of one type of retailer “tips the balance of the location and inevitably puts off potential retailers and investors” (Portas, 2011)

 

Some councils have included specific gambling strategies within their local plans. For example, Newham Council received Planning Inspectorate approval for a cumulative impact approach (Newham Council, 2015). It can restrict the number of betting shops and fast-food outlets being located within typical walking distance of one another (400m radius) and aims for 67% of the leisure use in town centres being ‘quality leisure’ (excluding betting shops and takeaways). It did this by providing a strong evidence base and looking at the impact that clustering of these types of businesses has on its vulnerable residents and viability of town centres.

 

Silvertime's agent in his Planning, Design and Access Statement LINK argues that the frontage is below the  Council's 3% of frontage in the defined shopping area at 2.92% and claims that the premises will be an improvement to the area with a tradtional shop frontage with displays.Objections over disturbance late at night are addressed by closing the premises at 22.00 hrs. 

There is likely to be an argument whether the frontage issue is a red herring given that the amount of gambling space is doubled. 

Harrow based Silvertime has two main directors and at the last count had 65 employees. In 2020 it had an operating profit of £2.1m on a reduced turnover (due to closures during the pandemic) of £8.7m. LINK

Harlesden Neighbourhood Forum meets on June 9th mainly to discuss the Picture Palace  issue.

Comments can be made on the Silvertime Planning Application (22/1619)  HERE