Brent Green Party welcomes PM's gambling reform announcement but warns of 'long road ahead' as another Wembley gambling licence is granted

Brent Greens campaigning against against gambling centres

 

From Brent Green Party

    

BRENT, LONDON Brent Green Party has cautiously welcomed the Prime Minister’s recent briefing announcing the intended scrapping of the controversial "aim to permit" rule under Section 153 of the Gambling Act 2005, over 20 years after its introduction by a Labour government.

Like many campaigners, affected families, and individuals who suffer from gambling harm, the Brent Green Party strongly supports ending the legal presumption that leads local authorities to believe they have no option but to approve new betting shops, casinos and 24-hour Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs).

However, the Brent Green Party warns that without a published White Paper, statutory document, or formal government policy roadmap, the announcement remains little more than a press statement. With legislation unlikely to be introduced until early next year, and heavy corporate industry lobbying expected during consultations, the "aim to permit" mandate will continue to hamstring local councils for the foreseeable future. The announcement also has no impact on the 80+ betting shops and casinos already in operation across Brent.

Furthermore, we have deep concerns about the Labour government’s true resolve to implement meaningful reform, given the government's close financial ties to the gambling industry; public records show the Labour Party and senior ministers accepted over £1 million in donations and gifts from betting executives and industry bodies in recent years, including a £25,000 leadership campaign donation to Keir Starmer from the head of Bet365 and VIP event hospitality for key Cabinet members. 

Gambling Harm Continue to Costs Brent £18 Million Annually

According to estimates from GambleAware, gambling-related harms cost the London Borough of Brent over £18 million every year. Despite these devastating economic and social impacts, local communities remain largely powerless under the current statutory framework. Where Green Party ward representatives are active, they have successfully mobilised residents against proliferation:

Willesden Green Ward: In June, a controversial Adult Gaming Centre application was formally rejected by the licensing committee following strong community opposition. This decision was unprecedented in the history of Brent.

Kilburn Ward: A major bingo hall/gaming application was forced into withdrawal ahead of its scheduled committee hearing in July due to organised local pressure.

This record contrasts with a recent decision of Brent Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee which granted a new premises licence to 312 Investments Limited to operate an Adult Gaming Centre at 574 High Road in Wembley Central, a ward represented by the Liberal Democrats at council level.

Speaking on behalf of Brent Green Party, Cllr Suzanne Gallagher said:

While we welcome the Prime Minister’s recognition that the 'aim to permit' rule is broken, a press briefing does not stop fixed-odds betting terminals or 24-hour slot machines from opening on our high streets today. Under Brent Labour, the industry has exploded in our borough with over 80 gambling venues, including ten within a ten minute walk of each other in Harlesden.

Furthermore, this announcement must be coupled with a comprehensive strategy to encourage local independent businesses to not only survive, but thrive. Small, independent enterprises present on our High Streets are currently suffering under punitive rent increases, extortionate commissions demanded by delivery platforms like Uber Eats, and a broader cost-of-living crisis impacting essential utility bills. The Green Party believes in actively promoting and protecting the local businesses that enrich our communities and drive our wider circular economy ambitions.

The recent approval of yet another gaming centre in Wembley Central where local representatives failed to even show up to the hearing to defend their residents proves exactly why we cannot wait months or years for legislative promises. The Brent Green Party will continue the good fight against gambling harms alongside our communities, pushing back against applications that threaten our town centres.

1 Walm Lane: 'A victory for our community' - Licensing Committee rejects Adult Gaming Centre application.

 

After a marathon session today. the Licensing Committee finally decided to refuse the application for an Adult Gaming Centre licence for 1 Walm Lane, Willesden Green - the former Lloyds Bank premises.

It was a cross-party resident led campaign that said. 'Enough is enough' over the deterioration of Walm Lane and High Road Willesden and threats to public safety with special concern over young people and children who are growing up in the neighbourhood.

There was a powerful presentation by Brent's Public Health Team on the social and health impact of gambling. Cllr George Burn (Labour, Willesden Green) had done some telling research into the business's background and suggested that it was a 'paper company' that filed its accounts late. There was no substance behind its application and its claims: the community deserved better.

Cllr Mary Mitchell demonstrated the value of a 'Green in the room' with a passionate but well-researched presentation:  

 

Cllr Suzanne Gallagher, spoke as a Willesden Green resident and parent, about having to explain to her 5 year old son, attracted by the lights flashing from gambling machines glimpsed through open doors, what exactly they were. She talked about the impact on gambler's own families of their habit as well as other key aspects of the application:

 

 

The applicant's legal representative challenged  what she claimed was a lack of proper evidence of the link between gambling and Anti Social Behaviour and crime, while admitting there was such evidence in terms of alcohol and drugs.

The lack of any police representation to the Committee. post its April 16th email saying they were satisfied with the 24 undertakings by the applicant, and therefore would not be making any representations, had clearly disappointed local councillors and residents - since so much had happened, including the murder of a 15 year old, since that date.

'The job of the police is to protect our community - they are negligent and have let us down' one resident said to me as the Committee went off to make their decision in private. 

The applicant said that he was a business man making a living, 'I work every day. I am not  some kind of multi-national business from outside the community making huge profits,' he argued vehemently.

This was a small committee and of the three members, a word should be said about the diligence and forensic questioning of Liberal Democrat councillor,  Fiona Mulaisho. She is clearly taking her job seriously.