26/07/2014

Local councils still have no say on betting shop planning.



For the last few years gambling activists, journalists and other groups have brought up the problem that local councils still hold no power over the existence of large numbers of betting shops in central shopping areas. 

Maybe this is something we need to spur on with again and keep the topic hot.  The gambling act 2005 means that we as a community don’t have a say in whether betting shops take over our towns and cause social damage.
Should we be doing more about it? Maybe the answer is yes. If you would like to help us with that then email us at Neuroliberation@gmail.com

The most we’v seen happen really were attempts by labour MP’s David Lammy and Rowenna Davis whom both expressed passionate concerns over the clustering of betting shops. But other than that we've seemed to socially except today's ‘gambling everywhere’ culture a lot faster than we expected.
Since when did it become normal to have Ladbrokes betting shops inside mainline train stations such as London Victoria and Liverpool Lime Street?
Since when was it normal for betting shops to have the most lucrative premises in town centres?

The fact that local councils can’t provide a solution for its residents in terms of the amounts of betting shops seems like a law which serves only the gambling industry instead of society.
Something still needs to be done about it, maybe if we think hard enough we’ll get there.

What can you do to stop your town centre being over-run by betting shops and the damage they are causing to people’s lives?