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Cllr Barry Edwards: ‘schools concerned’ |
Tighter rules threaten to curb invasion of arcades
Critics have ‘more ammunition’ as concern about gambling rises
GAMBLING arcades will have a tougher time opening in Islington under new plans to tighten up regulations.
Up to now members of Islington Council’s licensing panel have complained that they have felt helpless in the battle to stop gambling premises spreading.
This is illustrated by the council’s legal battle against Agora Amusements, which wants to triple the number of high-payout machines at its Nag’s Head arcade in Holloway.
But at Monday’s licensing committee, councillors added a raft of new criteria they will be allowed to consider when deciding whether or not to grant gaming licences to businesses.
This is important because these criteria will form the basis of the Town Hall’s defence should an operator appeal against a council decision before an independent inspector or a court.
Labour councillor Barry Edwards, a member of the licensing committee, said: “We’ve tried to tighten it up everywhere we can. Where we have always been able to take into consideration proximity to schools, churches, vulnerable people’s centres, we can now include stations, other hubs of transport and places where large groups of schoolchildren are expected to gather.”
The policy allows the proximity to other licensed gambling premises to be a deciding factor.
Cllr Edwards added: “Schools are very concerned about gambling. NHS Islington is very worried that Islington is a very deprived borough. A lot of people have health and mental health problems and these are the people who will go in there, blow their week’s wages and think they will win it all back next time they play.
“This change in policy will help us. This should give us a bit more ammunition.”
The panel is now looking at collecting witness evidence to see if there is a need to introduce a saturation zone – where it is considered there are already enough arcades – anywhere in the borough.
Cllr Edwards said: “Saturation zones can only be introduced if the argument for them is backed up by evidence. We might well be looking at Nag’s Head and Archway.
“The Licensing and Gaming Act says there needs to be a balance between the wishes of the people who run these places and the wishes of the community.
“With this, we’ve strengthened the hands of the community and made it more balanced.”
The draft licensing policy will be presented to the next full council meeting on December 3 where councillors will decide whether it should be officially adopted. |
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