The report asks the committee to consider the amendments made to the current Council Statement of Gambling Policy.
Minutes:
Discussion:
The Assistant Director for Legal and Corporate Services introduced the report advising that the amendments to the policy had been out to public consultation between July and October 2012 but no comments were received. The proposed changes were set out in paragraph 5 of the report and shown as track-changes in the appendix.
Members discussed the council’s Statement of Gambling Policy and supported the proposed amendments made and referred the amended policy to Cabinet and then Council, in accordance with the policy framework rules.
A Member asked for the
definition of “living sufficiently close to the
premises” as set out in paragraph 8.5 (on page 22 of the
agenda) and officers undertook to provide a written response to the
committee.
Members also discussed the
increase in the number of gambling establishments and bookmakers in
High Streets, especially the proliferation of Fixed Odds Betting
Terminals. Recent television programmes had revealed this to be a
significant issue in terms of impact on individuals and their
families, which could include debt, employees stealing from work,
suicide, bankruptcy and homelessness. The committee agreed that the
Chairman and Spokespersons, together with relevant officers, should
seek a meeting with the Gambling Commission to discuss an approach
to the gambling industry about this. The committee also suggested
research into whether local initiatives to address these issues had
been introduced elsewhere and could be applied in Medway.
The committee also discussed
planning class use for businesses, with particular reference to A3
class use. Members used the example that enabled a business to use
a property as a café but change to an outlet for payday
lending or gambling (which is a change from A3 to A2 class use)
that does not require planning permission. Members asked officers
to review current planning policy to overcome this. It was also
suggested that Medway’s Members of Parliament could be asked
to lobby the government about changing planning class use to
identify a new class for gambling outlets (as per a similar request
which formed part of the recommendations of the Fair Access to
Credit review.)
The committee asked the Assistant Director of Legal and Corporate Services to advise Members if there was scope to restrict the number of premises licensed for gambling in Medway on the basis of cumulative impact or saturation in particular areas. The Assistant Director advised that he would investigate this and inform Members of the outcome.
Decision:
The committee agreed to:
(a)
support the amendments made and referred the amended policy to
Cabinet and then Council in accordance with the policy framework
rules;
(b)
request officers to provide the definition of
“living sufficiently close to the premises” as set out
in paragraph 8.5 of the council’s Statement of Gambling
Policy;
(c)
seek a meeting between the Chairman and Spokespersons of this
committee and the Gambling Commission to discuss the increase in the number of gambling establishments, especially
the proliferation of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals;
(d)
request that officers research whether there are
local initiatives to address these issues that have been introduced
elsewhere and could be applied in Medway;
(e)
request officers to review current planning policy
to overcome A3 use class including gambling establishments. Also,
that Medway’s Members of Parliament are asked to lobby the
government about changing planning class use to identify a new
class for gambling outlets;
(f) ask the Assistant Director of Legal and Corporate Services to investigate if there was scope to restrict the number of premises licensed for gambling in Medway on the basis of cumulative impact or saturation in particular areas.
Supporting documents: