Posted on 2014-04-10 | 05:53

Roger is supporting calls for a change in the classification of betting shops so they are no longer in the same usage class as local businesses such as cafes or pubs. Creating a separate planning use class for betting shops would help to ensure proper scrutiny was carried out before a new betting shop could open, particularly in areas where there was already a high concentration. R

oger wrote to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, to express his support for these proposals. He is concerned that these shops suck money out of the pockets of those who can least afford it, and may also lead to addiction or problem gambling, as well as increased crime in the area.

He commented: “In no way can yet another William Hill or Paddy Power be considered a good replacement for a much-loved local pub or café, and I do not believe that they should be in the same planning class. I hope that Eric Pickles will listen to those who do not want to see their local communities subjected to an ever-higher concentration of betting shops, instead of businesses which make a contribution to the local area.”