Agenda item

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submits a report setting out the Council’s Gambling Policy for the coming three years, prior to its determination by Full Council in November 2018.  The Commission is recommended to make comments on the proposed policy, which will be reported to Council in November 2018.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submitted a report setting out the Council’s Gambling Policy for the coming three years.  Councillor Clair, (Deputy City Mayor with responsibility for Culture, Leisure, Sport and Regulatory Services introduced the report, noting that this Policy would be considered at the Council meeting to be held on 15 November 2018, for implementation in January 2019.

The Head of Regulatory Service advised the Commission that the amended Policy was based on the previous one.  As it was operating successfully, no significant changes were proposed.  However, comments on the draft Policy had been sought and those received to date were submitted with the report.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services drew attention to the licensing objectives set out in the report, which formed the basis of the licensing decisions for gambling establishments.  The Director highlighted that a priority item in the work programme of the Council’s Regulatory Services (Licensing Team) over the next year was to develop the Local Area Profile that gambling premises operators should refer to in making their risk assessments.  This would be available to the Commission for scrutiny when complete if Members wished.

In response to Members’ concerns that it had taken a long time to start work on the local profile, the Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services said he supported the need to progress this and it was important to remember that Regulatory Services had undergone a Spending Review which involved changing from having three heads of service to one and subsequent changes in, for example, Licensing to ensure delivery against work programmes.  The local profile, although not a statutory requirement, was seen as a service priority and was in the work programme going forward into the new municipal year.

The Commission suggested that the cumulative impact of gambling establishments should be considered by the City Council’s Gambling Policy.  The Head of Regulatory Service explained that the Gambling Policy set out how the Council regulated individual premises.  The legislation did not allow for cumulative impacts to be considered when a licence application had been made.  Councillors’ concern about the impacts of concentrations of certain businesses such as gambling premises and fast food take-aways was something they could consider referring on to Planning Officers for consideration and feedback as appropriate.  They currently were developing the Council’s Draft Local Plan and would be best placed to advise further on this particular matter. 

In response to Members’ enquiries, the Head of Regulatory Service advised that responsibility for promoting “responsible gambling” lay with gambling businesses.  In some areas of the country, gambling was becoming seen as a public health issue.  In Leicester, the licensing team did not had cause to work with officers from Public Health on individual premises, but the public health aspects of gambling were considered as part of the licensing process of a gambling premise. 

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services advised that the Council regulated premises, not the people using them.  A previous review of gambling by this Commission had recommended that people could be signposted to help.  As previously discussed, this was not a role for any specific council service, but would be done as and when needed by the service being alerted to a person needing help.  People also could self-regulate by asking establishments to turn them away if they tried to gamble.

Members also queried why certain types of establishments were included in the list of licensing functions at section 8 of Part A of the draft Gambling Policy when such establishments did not exist in the city.  In reply, the Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services explained that the list showed what the Council was required to consider in discharging its functions, so was not specific to Leicester. 

In addition, the locations discussed under section 2 of Part B of the Policy showed what was considered to be generally unsuitable for each type of establishment.  It was stressed that each application was considered on its merits, but these locations were a guide.

The Head of Regulatory Service advised that the locations listed in section 2 of Part B of the Policy showed applicants what the Council considered to be a generally unsuitable location for each type of establishment.  It was stressed that each application was considered on its merits and these locations were a guide.

AGREED:

That the Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services be asked to:

a)    include the community impact of betting shops, especially in areas with establishments such as religious venues, in the proposed local profile;

b)    present the local profile to this Commission for scrutiny when complete; and

c)    amend paragraph 5(a) of Part A of the draft Gambling Policy to refer to authorised activities, (not authorities activities).