Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Another betting shop planned on Lordship Lane please help
Morning all,
We have just found out that Paddy Power wants to open a betting shop in the recently closed pub on Lordship (606 Lordship Lane N22 5JH) about 5-7 minutes walk from Wood Green tube station. I live locally and am totally outraged as there are already 2 betting shops within 30 seconds walk of that old pub - a William Hill and Ladbrokes.
There is a sign on the door saying Paddy Power has submitted an application under the Gambling Act 2005 and that any representations need to be made in writing to the licensing authorities by 25th March.
I know similar situations have cropped up on Green Lanes and some of you have been active in fighting it - I would like your advice on how to stop this! I am planning writing to local councilors and MPs and will start a petition .
How can it be allowed to have three in such a short stretch of street - the noise and rubbish these places produce is terrible?
Please sign the petition here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/not-another-betting-shop-on-lord...
Thanks for your support!
Katie
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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William hill head quarters is in Wood Green (station road, n22).
Yes, across the road from ... the dark, looming edifice known as New River House, AKA Haringey Council. A senior Labour Councillor reminded me they were a major local employer.
However, that employment, plus all the other overheads, plus profits, plus taxes, every last penny comes out of the net losses of the punters – not all of whom are well placed to afford the losses.
bookmakers absolutely hate to ever have to call the police for anything
This is my understanding also and that "anything" can be serious. Private conversations with individual officers can be eye-openers. However I believe the police have been cautioned about making representations in these matters and they would of course, not wish to be quoted.
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Permalink Reply by Finsbury Park Ranger on
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You also have to factor in the crime committed to pay for the money lost or the interest paid for the money borrowed that was lost. Not to forget how much the price of housing (and quality of life)gets lowered when there are shitty bookmakers everywhere.
Imagine living next to one of them.
Urgh.
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Permalink Reply by Leena on
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Hi Katie,
Thanks for taking this on. I live near the proposed site as well and am really not happy to see yet another gambling place opening up. We have so many....just try counting the ones clustered around the station at Wood Green. And, that's just in the near vicinity. They stretch beyond that in both directions on Green Lanes.
If requesting info on crime statistics around the gambling shops on the Lordship Lane strip, I'd also ask if they can pull the stats relating to other clusters in the area. I know the ones around Wood Green station on all 3 sides of the road are frequently on lock-down over incidents.
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You're doing a great job Katie.
I too have received a letter from the local MP's and a reply email form Lynne Featherstone. The more we hound them and the licensing team the better. As suggested by the labour counsellors I'm currently writing an email to the licensing team (licensing@harringey.gov.uk), in doing so I have uncovered some compelling stats that should be useful for us, I've copied some extracts from my letter below, I'll also post on the Noel Park forum:
The area is well known for gang violence, last year the level of gang violence in the area rose to worrying levels as a local 15 year old boy was stabbed in a barbers, less than 30 yards from the proposed Paddy Power.
ref: http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/news/9893602.Gang_members_sent...
The area around the William Hill and Ladbrokes on Lordship Lane is well known as a place for loitering and antisocial behaviour. My wife was been approached several times by group of men and been verbally sexually harassed on a number of occasions. She feels unsafe walking home past the betting shops because of this and regally asks me to walk to the tube station and escort her home.
The Tesco Express cashpoint 20 yards away from the proposed site is a well known begging spot.
According to www.police.uk these are the crimes that have been reported in the area in the past 6 months:
http://www.police.uk/metropolitan/00APGU/crime/+A2pst1/
AUG-FEB 2014
Violence and sexual offences 16 (INCREASE OF 320%)
Anti-social behaviour 29 (INCREACE OF 112%)
Criminal damage and arson 6
Compared to 6 months between DEC-MAY 2011
Violence and sexual offences 5
Anti-social behaviour 26
Criminal damage and arson n/a
The last 3 years has seen at least one of the current betting shops open and, as a local resident I am convinced that the increase in criminal activity in the area is related to the growing number of gambling shops.
Within in 600m of the proposed site there are no fewer than 4 schools. Lordship Lane Primary, Woodside Children’s Centre, Woodside High School, Riverside School. The bus stops these children use to get to and from school are located directly next to the proposed Paddy Power site. Excessive exposure to the many betting shops and the unsavoury people that loiter outside undoubtedly has negative consequences on the many children. I have even seen instances of some of the older children getting some of men to place bets on their behalf.
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Hi Katie,
Thanks for all of your hard work! I write to the MET last week under the Freedom of information Act requesting stats around Haringey vs Gambling Premises, but no info yet- and I doubt it will be received before the 25th.I'll write to the Licensing Authority and query how many complaints they have received regarding Paddy Power.
To back up another person's point below- there have also been two shootings within 100m of the premises is the past 4 months. Tridant have been involved.
The Gambling Commision's Guidelines for Policy interpretation are quite interesting. These are provided to Authorities to help them to interpret the Licensing Act. http://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/PDF/GLA4.pdf
I've requested a copy of Haringey's Licensing Authority's Statement of Policy.
Key points in the Gambling Commission's Guidelines are:
5.2 'In considering applications, licensing authorities in England and Wales should takeparticular care to bear in mind that these objectives are not the same as those in the
Licensing Act 2003. In particular, they do not include considerations in relation to public safety or prevention of public nuisance'5.11 Among other matters, licensing authorities may need to consider the location of premises in the context of this licensing objective. If an application for a licence or permit is received in relation to premises that are in an area noted for particular problems with organised crime, for example, licensing authorities should think about what (if any) controls might be appropriate to prevent those premises becoming a source of crime.5.16 'Local authorities should note that in the case of gambling premises licences, disorder is intended to mean activity that is more serious and disruptive than mere nuisance... police assistance was required and how threatening the behaviour
was'
5.27 'Act is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. In considering applications, and taking enforcement action, under the Gambling Act licensing authorities should bear in mind that they are subject to the Human Rights Act'And finally- a clause which specifies that premises should only be accessed from the street could be a side angle (The Lordship has a door to the beer garden).
In fairness- walking from TPL to LL last night, out of the numerous bookies only two had significant groups of people (openly dealing drugs), outside. One of which was the BetFred in TPL which has been sibject to ASBOs by the met in the past 2 years.
Clearly some premises do manage crime better than others.
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I hope everyone doesn't give up on opposing the betting shop. Objections on the petition are good but please also do submit objections to the Council at licensing@haringey.gov.uk. Compliance with procedural requirements is a must if an objection is to be counted as accepted.
They managed to stop Betfred in Deptford just on sheer numbers alone and we might as well throw every reason we can at it. See http://noelparknet.ning.com/forum/topics/not-another-betting-shop-o....
PS. Our MPs might do a better job if they supported a change to the Gambling Act. Pointless writing to Lynne Featherstone, she voted against the change to the Act.
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Letters shmetters. You need picket lines.
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FPR, I think it depends what's in the letters. Letters to the Kremlin from widows and mothers of sons killed in the Soviet's war in Afghanistan – with nothing left to lose – helped to end 70 years of Communism. Letters might begin to help repeal New Labour's least lovable legislation: their (pro-) Gambling Act 2005.
Disclosure:
am a prospective councillor candidate
Highgate Ward | Liberal Democrat Party
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Signed. Petition probably is way to go.
Not got a hope in hell of getting the middle classes to stand outside any bookies for long, even in protest.
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sent my letter of objection to the council
Laura: good stuff. My knowledge of procedures is not up to date, but I doubt there've been significant changes. I seem to remember that if more than a certain number of objections are received from nearby, affected residents, the Licensing Authority is obliged to hold a Hearing. Haringey's Licensing Team should be able to advise on that.
These Hearings are formal and have quasi-legal status. It would involve the Licensing Committee (Councillors), the Objectors (members of the public) and the Applicants (the betting shop promoters). The Applicant would also likely be represented by a lawyer and each side can ask questions of the other.
One such hearing I remember involved the Full Licensing Committee (chaired by Cllr. H. Lister). The formal Objectors numbered 6 (six) and actually outnumbered the 'Full' Licensing Committee. One of the Magnificent Six (Objectors) was also a local Councillor who spoke on behalf of an affected resident.
Disclosure:
am a prospective councillor candidate
Highgate Ward | Liberal Democrat Party
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Permalink Reply by Mavic Starfish on
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email sent
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I will try and come on Sunday.
Just to reiterate what someone else has said, I understand that the petition won't have nearly as much value as individual letters/emails objecting as the petition may be treated as just one objection. Though it's easy to see them as part of the enemy here, I expect that the other betting shops nearby are likely to want to object on the basis of the competition. Might be worth speaking to them?:
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