The present tense is perhaps over-claiming, Brent Council would like the power to crack down on gamblng harms.
Following the recent granting of a plannning application for an Adult Gaming Centre in Park Parade, Harlesden, by Brent Planning Committee, Cllr Muhammed Butt has written to the Government calling for a change in the law.
Writing as Brent Council Leader, rather than Brent Labour, he cites the unanimous motion, supported by all parties on the Council, about the gambling harms in the Brent borough:
This is a growing issues for our communities due to the increase in the clustering of gambling premises within Brent generally, and Harlesden in particular. All councillors in Brent are united in our desire to reform the Gambling Act 2005, to ensure it is fit for purpose in protecting our most vulnerable residents.
He claims that despite the shared opposition local authorities have found themselves powerless to intervene due to the statutory 'Aim to Permit' policy that severely limits the power to intervene:
The policy has left local authorities and communities grappling with outdated and inadequate legislation that fails to protect vulnerable residents from the harms associated with gambling.
The letter to Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State, calls for the Government to support the following reforms:
1. Reform the 'Aims to Permit' Policy: Grant local authorities the power to reject premise license applications that threaten the community's welfare and safety.
2. Categorisation of Gambling Premises: Ensure that the incoming NPPF stipulates that Bingo Halls and Adult Gaming Centres be placed in the same planning category as bookmakers, so they cannot bypass the 3% cap by splitting premises.
3. Planning Applications: Allows councils to consider local household debt levels when evaluating planning applications for high street casinos and prevent the proliferation of gambling dens in close proximity to school[s], in the same way councils can limit junk food establishments in those areas.
4. Statutory Levy for Gambling Harm Prevention: Introduce a statutory levy on gambling operators for research, education and treatment, initially set at 1% of gross revenue, to be administered by an independent public body.
5. Ban on Gambling Advertising: Prohibit gambling advertising, promotion and sponsorship to prevent exposure, especially to children and young people.
6. Stop Progress on Proposals to Liberalise Adult Gaming Centres: Following the Gambling Survey for Great Britain which underlines the need for a review of spin speed and excess staking levels on harmful B3 machines.
26 comments:
Brent should gamble on total integrating Brent residents lives into Inner London's massive wealth and opportunities happening all long Brent southern boundary. The North Korea/ South Korea persistent policy approach needs to end, time to gamble on cohesion, integration and cross borough boundary actual co-operations to achieve equity of life chances. Forward together London including Brent lives means Brent side-stepping Local bankruptcy major risk. Locking Brent lives to Inner London's wealth machine is one gamble well worth taking.
You could have refused Planning permission in the first instance.
Why weren't they actively campaigning about this before they gave planning permission for this latest Adult Gaming Centre in Harlesden?
And why weren't they campaigning against this before they held the "Revision of Statement of Gambling Principles" consultation which had a deadline of 29 September 2024:
https://www.brent.gov.uk/business/licences-and-permits/gambling-gaming-and-lottery-licences/revision-of-statement-of-gambling-principles
Trust they will also start campaigning about too many alcohol licences too! Gambling and alcohol additions impact on so many vulnerable people in our society.
Did NOT the Planning Committee approve the latest Gambling Venue application in Brent? Do NOT Labour Councillors make up a very big Majority on the Planning Committee. Labour could have made a stand by voting AGAINST the Application. Did they? Of course not as that would have meant taking decisive ACTION on behalf of local people. Instead they CHICKENED out and sold local people down the river and now all they do is POSTURE! It is too little to late to undo the LABOUR damage done to Brent during LABOUR's Gambling explosion of the past 20 years!
The Planning Committee is supposed to be politically independent and subject to London Plan, Local Plan and statutory planning regulations. The argument made at Planning Committee was that if they refused planning permission an Appeal to the Planning Inspectorate was very likely to succeed. Hence the need to change the law within which they operate.
So they are Posturing. Labour made the bad Law and now that they don't like it the Law they made they want to change it and give the impressions that Labour Councillors are doing something for local people. TOO LTTLE and TOO LATE! Local people will have to put up with the damage caused by irresponsible Labour politicians for many years to come.
Because Labour Councillors are are useless?
As someone asked before, why not campaign before they granted permission???
Or they could have refuse permission and campaigned before an appeal was launched???
Standing at the bus stop in Wembley High Road near Ealing Road junction earlier we could see 2 adult gaming centres and 3 betting shops very close by - added to that all the businesses selling alcohol - how many kids are living in poverty coz their parents are gambling and drinking their money away???
Leaving NO one Behind - is the Labour slogan on their self publicity material. What a sick Joke. Labour's ill thought out policy hurts the people who can least afford to gamble their money away. Social engineering at its worst. Those Labour Politicians who introduced the Gambling Law in 2005 are all very rich people and are laughing at us now.
A dozen betting shops lining Ealing and Wembley High Road all pre-Covid. Wonder if they claimed any relief
Why not just do better as a council and regenerate town centres properly
People struggling with debt can apply for a debt relief order...
BBC News - More escape debt for free as bills keep mounting
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgngpyvrzdo
Prohibition doesn't work. People with serious gambling addiction's are not using Adult gaming shops, same as alcoholics don't use pubs. They doing it from the comfort of their homes on mobiles, and drinkers using the supermarket for supply.
Sanctimonius claptrap by Labour councillors
Regenerate town centres;1000 year old Harlesden is adjacent to Europe's biggest regeneration 650 ha OPDC and Britain's biggest new stations transport super hub HS2/ Elizabeth Line Old Oak Common Harlesden. One new direct footway tunnel infrastructure investment and Harlesden will be Britain's most polluted high street no more.
If people don't use gaming centres and betting shops why do we have so many here with the companies pushing to open more?????????
If people sit at home drinking alcohol from the supermarkets why does every news agent, corner shop, mini mart etc opening here apply for an alcohol licence and why are our streets, parks and open spaces strewn with alcohol bottles and cans????????
The comments here are all very harsh on these 3 smiling Labour Councillors. At least these 3 Labour Councillors - including the Labour Deputy Leader and the Labour Chair of Planning - are trying to undo the damage done by a Labour Government. Why should not the Chair of Planning object to another Gambling venue being imposed as a result of a Labour policy in his own backyard?
Yes, B~ent is cracking
Old Town Harlesden "will get what it deserves".
Why didn't these councillors start this campaign years ago???
Don't forget the chair of planning Cllr Matt Kelcher is married to Cllr Mili Patel who is the Deputy Leader of Brent Council - they are both Harlesden Councillors.
Anonymous at 2024 M10 24 21:45 makes a very good point - Why exactly are these 3 Labour Councillors smiling so much? It's not as if they won a battle and the latest Gaming Centre was stopped. After all the Labour Councillors on the Planning Committee - that Councillor Kelcher is chairman of and earns a lot of extra money for - APPROVED the latest planning application which will force another Gaming Centre on the people of Harlesden against their wishes but in line with the wishes of a previous Labour Government which though that it was a good idea to 'regenerate' town centres by a mad policy of expanding gambling at the expense of poor people.
"The industry points the finger at individuals. But addiction is a social problem that requires prevention as well as cure"...
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/oct/29/the-guardian-view-on-gambling-a-public-health-approach-is-a-good-bet
The more gambling premises there are the less local people will shop there and why would other traders invest their money opening premises in a depressed area?
So Brent Council have bought the old Harlesden Picture House and will spend £3million to do it up and open it as a community centre - meanwhile in Wembley the 80 year old East Lane Theatre Group who have renovated, fitted out and run their space at Vale Farm at no cost to Brent Council face a frankly ridiculous rent increase from £1,500 per year to £75,000 per year!!!
https://www.mylondon.news/news/north-london-news/beloved-north-london-community-theatre-30276955
Blatant double standards between 2 areas in Brent!
And surely no coincidence that the Chair of Brent Council Planning Committee and the Deputy Leader of Brent Council (husband and wife) are both Harlesden Councillors.
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