Too many gambling venues on the Cally high street

“Why has Islington Council given permission to all those new gambling shops on Cally high street”? People often ask this question. And the simple answer is that Islington Council hasn’t. The Council opposed and refused gambling licenses and refused planning permission to all 3 of the recent opened gambling venues. But in every case, the gambling companies appealed to Inspectors appointed by the last Government. And they got Islington’s refusals overturned.

As a result, we now have 3 betting shops and a 24hr adult gaming centre all within about 150 yards of each other on Caledonian Road. Here’s an explanation about what happened with the last 3 venues which have secured gambling licenses and planning permissions.

Jennings Bet, 309-311 Caledonian Road
The Council’s licensing committee refused a gambling license in February 2023 – click here to see that report. However, Jennings applied to a District Judge in the Magistrate’s Court to overturn the decision. Islington Council defended its refusal but the Judge ruled in favour of the license being granted.

Jennings Bet also had to get a planning permission for change of use and hours of operation. In April 2022, the Council refused this application too. In August 2022, a planning inspector over-turned Islington’s refusal. The decision notice can be read here. Astonishingly, the Inspector said “the proposal would not result in a harmful over-concentration of betting shops”. Despite the location being “close to primary schools, a children’s centre and a community centre” she said it would not exacerbate “antisocial behaviour and crime rates”. To make things even worse, the Inspector attached a condition “requiring the glass of the shopfront to remain unobscured.” The windows are now filled with large format advertising screen with high light intensity at night.

City Gaming, 310 Caledonian Road
Although this was once a branch of William Hill, City Gaming were required to get a new gambling license. This was strongly opposed by many residents and the Caledonian Ward Cllrs. It was also opposed by the Licensing Authority. See the report from 2021 here.

The company also had to get planing permission notably because they wanted to operate 24 hours a day. Again this was opposed by residents and the Ward Cllrs. Planning permission was summarily refused by Islington Council in May 2021. The report which authorised refusal can be read here.

However, the owners appealed this refusal. The Council robustly defended its decision and its statement of case can be read here. However, the appeal Inspector over-ruled the Council in December 2021. Astonishingly, he thought that 24 hour operation would be OK because the premises are located on “a main arterial road with associated traffic levels … I am not therefore persuaded that it is necessary or reasonable to prevent 24-hour opening to protect the living conditions of the occupiers of nearby residential properties.” He self-evidently didn’t visit the site and see that the high street has numerous residential properties above and adjacent. The Inspector’s decision can be read here.

The Council is closely monitoring the 310 Caledonian Rd and there is a planning enforcement case which has been opened because the premises began operations before it had met pre-commencement conditions which the planning inspector required.

Paddy Power, 325 Caledonian Road

Caledonian Ward Cllrs opposed a license for the Paddy Power premises and a planning application was refused by the Council’s planning committee in January 2016. The decision notice is here. However, Paddy Power appealed this decision. We campaigned publicly after Paddy Power’s appeal to a Government Inspector was held in July 2016. Islington Council had refused planning permission The Inspector accepted there was a strong grounds for refusal – the detrimental effect on the high street from over-concentration of betting venues and the negative impact on sensitive community facilities within an area of high economic deprivation. The Inspector listened to local residents’ representations and “paid particular attention also to those made in writing by the local ward Councillors”. However, he decided to over-turn the Council’s refusal. The Inspector’s report is here.

The law needs to be changed

We have concentrations of gambling shops in Cally because the 2005 Gambling Act has an “aim-to-permit” clause which makes it very hard for any Council to resist new gambling license applications.

Caledonian Ward Councillor Sara Hyde says: “The Gambling laws need to be changed. When Councils like Islington refuse licenses, the gambling companies just go to a District Judge and appeal the decision. They always quote the Act’s ‘aim-to-permit’ provision. The Council’s refusal is then overturned and licences are granted.

“Planning legislation also needs to be strengthened. In Cally, the last 3 planning applications for gambling venues were all refused by the Council. But, in all 3 cases, the applicants appealed to an Inspector appointed by the last Government and that Inspector over-ruled Islington and granted permission. It’s crazy that an applicant for planning permission can appeal without even having to show any grounds for their appeal. They just get a second roll of the dice. We will do all we can to work with new Labour government to change the laws that prevent local councils from being able to meaningfully shape the local environment and community.”

Islington Council and other local authorities are seeking powers to stop the spread of gambling here. Cllr John Woolf, the Executive Member responsible for community safety and licensing made the argument to a meeting of the full Council. It’s covered here in the Islington Tribune.

We’ve launched an online petition

Cally Councillors launched a petition on 4th July at the Cally Festival opposed to the concentration of gambling in Cally. We collected several hundred signatures on the day. There’s an online version of the petition here.