Decision details

The Cabinet will be asked to approve in principle arrangements for the introduction of planning controls on Betting Shops

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration presented a report on proposals to control the conversion of high street premises into betting shops.

The Cabinet Member explained that in order to address the Council’s long standing concerns over the social, economic and health impacts of betting shops it was intended to introduce a non-immediate Article 4 Direction under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 to require planning permission to be sought for the change of use of premises classified as Use Classes A3, A4 and A5 to betting shops (Use Class A2).  As a further measure, a draft Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) explaining the Council’s overall guidance on addressing the impacts of betting shops had been developed which established certain principles to prevent the clustering and concentration of such premises in the future.

Cabinet agreed:

  (i)  That notice be given of the Council’s intention to make a non-immediate Article 4 Direction, covering the whole Borough, withdrawing permitted development rights for permitted changes of use to betting shops;

  (ii)  The draft Supplementary Planning Document ‘Evening the Odds: Curbing the Proliferation of Betting Shops’, attached at Appendix 1 to the report, for public consultation; and

 (iii)  To note that following the outcome of consultation, a report would be presented to the Assembly seeking approval of the final Supplementary Planning Document ‘Evening the Odds: Curbing the Proliferation of Betting Shops’.