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Betting Shops Bill 2010-11 - The return of the "Demand Test"???

For nearly 50 years the “Betting Circus” travelled the length and breadth of England and Wales with applications for new betting offices being made to local Magistrates’ Courts which inevitably attracted objections principally by the leading bookmakers under the Betting Gaming and Lotteries Act 1963 on the ground of ‘demand’, or should we say the lack of it.

Yesterday a private members bill under the ten minute rule was introduced to Parliament.

The Bill brought by Joan Ruddock, MP for Lewisham, Deptford would require the Secretary of State to create a new planning use class for betting shops which would require the granting of planning permission; to provide that local planning authorities assess demand for betting shops when considering applications for premises in that particular planning use class and place a cap on the number of betting shops for which planning permission may be granted in any area; and for connected purposes.

It was stated by Ruddock that “Taking betting shops out of their current place in use classes order A2 alongside banks and building societies would make it possible to make planning judgments appropriate to the local area. Local planning authorities would be able to assess demand for betting shops, and indeed place a cap on the number of betting shops for which planning permission may be granted. This simple measure would not inhibit the industry from creating a natural spread of outlets, but it would give some hope to areas such as mine, in which extreme clusters are totally unacceptable.”

Laurence Robertson, MP for Tewkesbury although not officially opposing the Bill responded by stating “To conclude, we have betting shops and the industry more generally paying a lot of money in taxation; employing thousands of people; funding horse racing and its associated activities, some of which involve education; and, yes, responding to market need. I thus ask where is the problem that requires even more nanny-stateism, even more needless regulations and even more costs to be added to businesses and local authorities? I would suggest that the problem is not there. With great respect to the right hon. Lady who is trying to introduce this Bill, it represents a solution looking for a problem. As such, although I will not divide the House for the reasons stated earlier, if the Bill makes progress, I will seek to oppose it in its later stages.

This Bill is to have its Second reading debate on 20 January 2012.