The premises
The latest chaper in the battle over an additional Adult Gaming Centre (AGC) in Harlesden takes place at Planning Committee tonight after a number of applications and Planning Inspectorate appeals.
It pits ward councillors and 19 objectors who oppose the application against the recommendation to approve it made by planning officers.
The Harlesden and Kensal Green ward councillors are Mili Patel, who is deputy leader of Brent Council; Matt Kelcher, who is chair of Brent Planning Committee, and Jumbo Chan.
Clearly officers are seeking to avoid yet another appeal by the applicant to the Planning Inspectorate and rely on some changes in the application and its context to recommend approval.
The narrowest one is the proportion of AGC shop fronts in the area which has been reduced by one such shop front coverting to retail. The quota is 3% and with this application at 5-6 Park Parade comes in at 2.74%.
The Officers Report states:
In summary, the proposed change of use would not result in an unacceptable over-concentration of Adult Gaming Centres as defined within the Council’s adopted policies, it therefore would not harm the vitality and viability of Harlesden Town Centre. The proposed development is in accordance with to DMP 1 and BE5 of the Brent Local Plan 2019-2041. The principle of development is in accordance with the Council’s policies and the London Plan and therefore is considered acceptable.
The proposal is now for one Adult Gaming Centre unit in the double fronted shop rather than an AGC plus betting shop as previously.
The concern over the impact on crime and anti-social behaviourof another AGC preying on a vulnerable population is undermined by the Planning Inspector's findings:
Comments were received raising concern that the use would result in crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour, noting the Police objected to a previous applications. Previous comments from the Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team suggested that adult gaming centres were driver for anti-social behaviour, maps were previously provided showing the location a concentration of anti-social behaviour, violence and drug offences. The comments noted a concentration around the Jubilee Clock and Silvertime gaming centre. The Safer Neighbourhood Teams raised similar concerns with the Appeal Scheme (Appeal Ref:
APP/T5150/W/21/3269557) , a list of offences were submitted and the Inspector was furnished with this.
The Inspector did not support the Local Planning Authorities view in terms of crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder, at paragraph 16 of the Appeal Decision (Appeal Ref: APP/T5150/W/21/3269557) they stated
‘The Council have detailed concerns relating to crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour including comments from local residents and bodies, the Police Safer Neighbourhoods Team and the Metropolitan Police. The Harlesden area is identified as an area of high deprivation with unemployment and homelessness levels generally high. There is no unequivocal link presented to me between these matters and the proposal which would result in a single AGC leading to a harmful effect on crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour in the area.'
Planning Officers' conclude:
The principle of development is acceptable and would not result in an over concentration of AGCs within Harlesden Town Centre as defined within the council's planning policies or result in harm to the vitality and viability of the town centre. The proposed development is considered to be acceptable in terms of impact to character and appearance of the subject property and the wider streetscene and the development would preserve the character of the Harlesden Conservation Area. The proposed development is not considered to have an adverse impact on the amenities of neighbouring properties.
Subject to conditions, the proposed use would be acceptable and not result in harm to the locality and neighbouring occupiers. The proposal is considered to be in general accordance with the development plan having regard to material considerations.
Approval is accordingly recommended.
The full Officers' Report is HERE
The meeting is in the Conference Hall of Brent Civic Centre at 6pm tonight. It is also live streamed HERE.
11 comments:
travesty
And it is Britain's most polluted high street.
Do they have a choice to say no or could they get sued?
The Committee has turned the Adult Gaming Centre down at least twice and the applicant appealed to the Planning Inspectorate. The Officers abd Committee took into consideration the Inspector's decision that harm had not been been proved. There was every possibility of a refusal being appealed again and officers' adviced was that it would probably be upheld.
As long as Government builds the new footway tunnel between Harlesden Tubbs Road Pocket Park (its been kept there to do that) and new Old Oak Common HS2/ Eliz station 500 metres south (to be Britain's biggest station) with Willesden Junction Station on route, then all will turn out well for Harlesden folks lives and opportunities soon enough.
What an odd comment? People need proper local resources not a foot tunnel that'll end up bring a muggers paradise.
It was Labour policy to expand Gambling under the Blair Government. Gambling Companies profits are taxed so an easy money spinner for a bankrupt Labour Government - without having to call losses the gamblers paid as income tax. Crafty Labour theft from gullible people who are easy targets.
I mean a TfL stations tunnel. Harlesden Tubbs Road Pocket Park ( it was kept for that very purpose) connecting to a Willesden Junction station and then onwards to Old Oak Common HS2/Elizabeth Line to be Britain's biggest station -a new 500 metre TfL public transport direct foot tunnel capital spend.
The Elizabeth Line has a new such tunnel already from Moorgate Underground to the new Elizabeth Line station at Liverpool Street of 400 metres. Above that new tunnel it is a simple and routine direct City 400m walk, while with a Harlesden to Old Oak HS2/ Elizabeth line station direct walk you are going to either get electrocuted, arrested or hit by a train.
This new proposed TfL tunnel would totally transform Harlesden's residents fortunes / be transformative for wider Brent too. What has the massive capital spend build 400m TfL tunnel done for Moorgate? Nothing, a perfect example of Johnsonian era unsound planning.
Old Oak Common Station south to Wormwood Scrubs 76 ha Park would be a further 200 m of same foot tunnel becoming then Harlesden Old Town to Wormwood Park in a direct 10 minute walk or wheel, tap in, tap out to use it. Active tunnels and bridges are DfT infrastructure categorised as being public transport capital infrastructure investments.
Harlesden councillors and previous MP were asleep on Harlesden securing a bright fully connected future from 650ha OPDC Europe's biggest regeneration. Harlesden's new MP Georgia Gould will surely wake UK Cabinet to this existing community's gaining from massive scale regeneration adjacent?
Britain's most polluted high street no more and maybe then more ambitious shop uses than gaming would become fully feasible?
The GLA's new Green Cover Map of September 2024 visualises how Harlesden is a major urban desert south, you can also see the new OOC station site, OPDC 650 ha site and the Wormwood giant scale strong protected park below that.
Also shows South Kilburn green spaces and flood defences that have survived the last 14 years of 'its all brownfield re-development land'. And the SK woodland that Brent has as being a 'site allocation' since 2010 and Maida Hill Britain's most overcrowded neighbourhood (only street trees) that shares with SKTBZ this key park amenity to its left.
https://apps.london.gov.uk/green-cover/?layers=tree-canopy,green,blue&pos=9.5/51.48800/-0.08750
Its clear that the Council have no authority to stop AGC opening on Brent High Streets. Exactly the same is happening on Cricklewood Broadway (which already has the counrtries largest 24 hour Bingo Hall).. Since the last local election where Labour promised to "stop the expansion of gambling centres on our high streets" two large Slot machine places have opened opposite each other - next to the two Bookmakers... Why bother to have this in their manifesto if they have no power to actually enforce it..?
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