A North London neighbourhood could see a former high street bank turned into another gambling site after an application was submitted to the council. Residents have been raising concerns about the number of these types of premises that have opened across Brent over the last few years due to fears they ‘support addiction and destroy lives’. An assessment published by the council last year showed there were 81 gambling venues in the borough.
Merkur Slots has applied for a gambling licence for 265 Neasden Lane in Neasden, Brent, the site of the former Santander branch in the Neasden shopping area. If approved, it would become the second one in this area alone, with another site located at 304 Neasden Lane. It would also be the fifth Merkur Slots premises in the borough, with others located in Wembley, Willesden, and Harlesden.
Residents and councillors have been speaking out against the growing number of gambling sites in Brent. An application approved in November for a new adult gaming centre in Harlesden sparked fury amongst locals, with it becoming the seventh such site all located within a 600-metre stretch. The latest application is for a premises situated near a school bus stop, which will heighten fears of it attracting children and younger adults.
Neasden, where the former bank is situated, is classed as an area with medium to high levels of deprivation
(Image: Google Maps)
Some comments against the application were made on popular local blog Wembley Matters following the submission, the predominant sentiment being that Neasden does ‘not need another gambling place’. One comment stated: “This would be detrimental to the area, which is already rundown.”
Another added: “[It] would be much better to have a gym, encourage people to get healthy and feel better about themselves. Casinos just support addiction and destroy lives.”
Similar to Willesden and Harlesden, Neasden is classed as an area with medium to high levels of deprivation, according to Brent Council. Harlesden was recently dubbed the ‘Las Vegas of Britain’ due to its density of gambling sites, with residents feeling like the companies are ‘preying on the vulnerable’.
In response to the site being in such close proximity to a school bus stop, Merkur Slots state in the application that the venues are ‘strictly adult only’ and the shop frontage ‘obscures the interior’ with no advertising depicting images ‘that may appeal to children’.
The document states that staff are given training and guidance on dealing with vulnerability, whilst also being aware of the ‘importance of social responsibility’ to advise customers on gambling responsibility and identify any potential harm. It adds: “Whilst the premise may be near or in an area of relative deprivation, Merkur Slots takes the view that individual customers must be treated holistically […].”
In November, Brent Council Leader, Cllr Muhammed Butt, wrote to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy urging the government to tighten planning laws around such venues, including giving local authorities the power to reject premises licence applications that ‘threaten the community’s welfare and safety’.
Cllr Butt also wants to see national guidelines stipulate that bingo halls and adult gaming centres are in the same planning category as bookmakers. He claims this would prevent applicants from bypassing the three per cent cap on such venues by splitting premises between categories. The latest application will be reviewed by the council’s licensing team when a decision on whether it can go ahead will be made.
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