Brent Council has welcomed the Government’s “Pride in Place” programme, which aims to transfer significant powers from Whitehall to local communities.

This initiative includes new rights for residents to take over unused shops and protect local pubs and libraries, while also allowing communities to block the proliferation of betting shops and vape stores. The Government has pledged record investment in over 330 communities, with Brent set to receive £1.5 million.

A key aspect of the reforms is the introduction of Cumulative Impact Assessments in gambling licensing, enabling councils to consider the concentration of betting shops when reviewing new applications. This change allows for local authorities to address the cumulative harm caused by an excessive number of gambling outlets.

Earlier this year, Brent led a coalition of 43 councils and mayors, including Andy Burnham, in calling for urgent reform of the Gambling Act 2005. The coalition’s open letter, representing nearly 12 million residents, proposed a six-point plan to mitigate the harms of high street gambling, including ending the statutory “Aim to Permit” duty that limits councils’ ability to reject licensing applications.

Cllr Mili Patel, deputy leader of Brent Council, stated, “Local people must have the power to say when enough is enough. This is not about banning gambling wholesale, but it is about reclaiming our high streets and ensuring they work for communities, not against them.”

Brent has 81 licensed gambling premises, the second highest in London, with clusters in areas such as Harlesden and Wembley Central. The economic cost of gambling harms in Brent was estimated at £14.3 million in 2022, with 6.2 per cent of residents gambling at high-risk levels, more than double the national rate. The “Pride in Place” programme is seen as a promising step. Still, Brent Council emphasises the need for swift legislative action to implement these powers and reform the Gambling Act to better address high street gambling harms.

Photo by Frankie Cordoba on Unsplash

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