Luxury Leisure has been given the go-ahead to open a 24/7 slots ‘casino’ in a stationers in Blackstock Road after winning an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate

PARENTS and residents have labelled a decision to allow a 24/7 slots “casino” near a primary school “preposterous”, after a council move to block the development has been overruled.

The Tribune reported more than a year ago that Luxury Leisure, which operates 270 venues across the country, had made a bid to set up the slots “casino” in a stationers in Blackstock Road.

The move had provoked outrage among parents, councillors and charity workers who have consistently warned of the dangers of gambling venues which increase nuisance behaviour and pose a public health risk.

Hackney Council took the decision to refuse planning permission, but it has now been revealed that Luxury Leisure won an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in April and will be allowed to press on with their plans.

There are three bookmakers within 500 metres of the proposed venue, but the Planning Inspector ruled that these provided a different service from the 24/7 Adult Gaming Centre, and are also situated over the border in neighbouring Islington.

In the report, Inspector Kayleigh Lancaster wrote: “I am not persuaded that this amounts to an over-concentration of these uses, nor would it give rise to harmful cumulative impacts in terms of the number, capacity, or location of other night-time economy uses in the area.”

Thomas Karshan, whose child attends Ambler Primary School, situated just a three-minute walk away, told the Tribune: “I would call it a perverse judgement. Whatever regulatory frameworks that have led to this decision are a complete affront to common sense and the clear will of the community and what the borough, and really the nation, wants.”

Thomas Karshan, whose child attends Ambler Primary School

He said that it was “laughable” to argue that the facility would not lead to an increase of anti-social behaviour in the area.

“This block is a notorious open-air drug market and site of prostitution, with a high level of ASB which is teetering on the edge of going in the wrong direction. As far as we are concerned, this will cause irretrievable harm to the future of the neighbourhood,” Mr Karshan added.

Richard Brooks, who lives in Finsbury Park, said: “I don’t think the report has taken seriously into account the serious concerns of local people, local schools and the police in the area, which is already a problem area with overcrowding and drug issues.” He added: “The report is too narrowly focused on a new gaming place in Hackney and has not taken consideration of the wider public into account.”

Mr Karshan said he and his neighbours would do “everything we can to fight” the decision, and called on their MP David Lammy to get involved.

“We will be getting straight on the line with David Lammy’s office. If anyone could do anything about it, it would be him. He is our only hope, and he needs to step in.”

The decision has shed light on what little power councils really have to block gambling venues, just months after Islington’s then-health chief Dr Sara Hyde called on the government to hand local authorities the powers to reject applications for new betting shops and fruit machine casinos.

Serena Lander, who lives in Wilberforce Road, told the Tribune that this was part of an “ongoing problem across the country”.

“We’re told that we have devolution but really power still sits in Westminster”, she said.

“They don’t know the area, they don’t have to live it every day, but they are still the ones who make the decisions as opposed to the council. There is a lot of violence in the area, I have had to jump over a puddle of blood numerous times, and a gambling shop is not going to help at all, particularly given how few young people they employ. If we want to help communities prosper, we cannot take away more opportunities.

“There’s a problem with this regulatory framework which doesn’t allow the council and inspection officers to make common sense decisions and which crucially doesn’t allow the police a bigger say,” added Mr Karshan.

A spokesperson for Hackney Council said: “We are aware of the decision of the Planning Inspectorate in this case, which allowed the appeal and granted planning permission for the change of use of the site at 3 Blackstock Road in Finsbury Park. The development will have to fully meet the schedule of conditions outlined in the Appeal Decision.”

Luxury Leisure did not respond to the Tribune’s request for comment before our print deadline, but documents submitted as part of their planning application say: “Luxury Leisure is committed to the safety of our staff and customers and to the ongoing relationships with the local area and our neighbours.

“Our external advertising is not directed at people under the age of 18 years through the selection of media, style of presentation, content or context in which they appear. Luxury Leisure AGCs [adult gaming centres] do not attract large crowds of people, our patrons are usually individuals or couples.”