A new law passed by the Labour government in 2005 came into force September 2007. In the past to obtain a betting shop licence from a magristrate an applicant had to prove a need. This meant that others could prove the existing shops had plenty of capacity. The new Labour law means an application can only be blocked if you can prove the applicant is not “fit and proper”, or is unfair to punters, a source of disorder, putting children or other vulnerable people at risk. So legally its now near impossible to block new betting shops – even if it wrecks the balance of shopping high streets.

So why the sudden demand for new betting shops – because betting shops can have upto four electronic touch-screen roulette machines. Such machines mean the average betting shop can make £2,000-£2,500 profits a week from these machines alone. The Financial Times reported that “In essence, in the past five years, the nations bookies have become fantastically lucrative slot-machine arcades”.

How does this affect East Dulwich?

A new super sized betting shop is being applied for where the old Woolwich Building Society used to be at 109 Lordship Lane. The deadline for objecting to it is 18 January.

However East Dulwich has three of the five Community Mental Health team for Southwark.

I will be objecting on the grounds that Lordship Lane has 60% of community mental health team users visiting and these patients are vulnerable.

If you want to object, and try holding back the tide of Labour caused betting shops, then send your objections to:

Tel: 020 7525 2000
Fax: 020 7525 3077
licensing@southwark.gov.uk
Licensing unit,
Chaplin Centre,
Thurlow Street,
London SE17 2DG