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
