Pickles Opens Door to More High Street Betting Shops

                                                                                                                       Photo: Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Councils are warning that changes to planning coming into force could lead to more high streets being over-run with clusters of betting shops and payday loan companies.

This one had sort of passed me by, but thanks to a posting by Alan Stanton the meaning of which wasn't initially clear to me, I've now been alerted to this potentially significant change.

Eric PIckles'  Department for Communities and Local Government has just introduced rules for a two-year period to try to make it easier for  people to fill empty shops or start new businesses without having to seek permission to change property from one use to another.

Laudable motives, but councils across the country fear the chages may have a negative impact on Britain's ailing high streets. Even the Daily Mail is against this change. In an article two days ago, it said, "Betting shops will be allowed to open up in pubs". A Paddy Power in The Salisbury? Doesn't bear thinking about!

With breathtaking hypocrisy, Shadow Communities Secretary Hilary Benn whose Labour Party  only a few years ago opened the floodgates the betting shops on our high streets said: ‘I am deeply concerned that the Government’s plans could lead to an increase in problem gambling, something that would be foolhardy at any time but unforgivable when we are in the grip of a crisis in living standards with squeezed household incomes."

Fingers crossed folks.

More on the LGA website.