Residents furious as Huntingdon gambling arcade approved
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A ‘gambling arcade’ on Huntingdon high street has been approved despite strong local opposition.
Cashino Gaming will be opening in the former premises of Carphone Warehouse, a prime retail spot that hundreds of residents had higher hopes for.
Huntingdonshire District Council approved the application of an adult gaming centre last night (August 23) overruling objections from Huntingdon Town Council and a petition which received more than 600 signatures.
Cllr Sam Wakeford, the Huntingdon North representative who called in the application for discussion, said: “Local residents will be bitterly disappointed by the approval last night.
“But it was obvious even those voting in favour were holding their noses and felt they had little choice.”
The council’s Development Management Committee (DMC) concluded that the gaming centre is an appropriate use of an empty shop unit, which will enhance the “vitality” of the town centre and not have a harmful impact.
The new venue will be open from 7am until midnight, rather than the proposed 24 hours a day.
It comes as new analysis by the Standard Life Foundation and University of Bristol this week found that the majority gambling premises are being located in the most deprived areas of the country.
The report raised questions about the close proximity of gambling premises to a range of populations who could potentially be vulnerable to gambling harms, promoting unhealthy choices. It described "problem gambling" as a "public health issue" due to the impact on finances, livelihoods, and relationships.
Huntingdon resident and campaigner David Landon Cole said: “'I fear for the effect this will have on our High Street as we recover from Covid.
“We do have an opportunity to make Huntingdon town centre a more attractive place for businesses and visitors; this gambling establishment might be appropriate for a big city, but not a market town.
“I am glad that the Development Management Committee did not give the twenty-four hour opening that Cashino requested.
“However, the centre of our community will now be marked by something that is a byword for decline and decay."
Neighbours of the property on 49 High Street Huntingdon objected on several grounds, including that the establishment is not “family friendly” and attracts anti-social behaviour.
Cambridgeshire Police did not raise any objection, according to pre-DMC meeting documents.
Cllr Wakeford accused the Conservative government of “cut[ting] the legs out from under local democratic control of the planning system” by expanding permitted development rights, a system whereby it is easier for developments to gain approval, or even in some cases bypass public consultation.
He added: “It is so counterproductive to force the hands of local councils to approve this sort of proposal despite overwhelming public opposition, when it is going to make our high street less attractive and undermine the recovery our market towns so desperately need as we emerge from the Covid pandemic.
"Yet if councillors ignore the planning rules and refuse an application anyway then developers can just take councils to court, get their way regardless and leave a massive legal bill for the taxpayer.
"To sort out the planning system we need a government that isn’t in the pockets of developers."
He claimed that legal changes to the planning system makes it more difficult for councillors to justify denying permission for the space to be used as a casino compared to other possibilities, which could risk a costly court battle.
A spokesperson for Gauselmann, the German group which owns Merkur Slots, the owners of Cashino, : “We very much regret that our gambling halls have been viewed so critically and will do everything to be an attractive and reliable partner in Huntingdon.”
