Tottenham Labour says 'NO' to 3 adult gaming centres on Green Lanes.

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Tottenham MP, David Lammy, has also expressed his objection: read David's article in full.

Q: Why are Labour politicians objecting to the Licences? Aren't local Labour Councillors responsible for granting them?
 
A: Haringey Council has objected to a number of betting shop licences but unfortunately their decisions have been overturned by the courts. The way the law is designed means that licences cannot be objected to on the grounds that there are already too many in a given area. The objections have to focus on the impact that the specific licence being applied for will have on public health, its impact on vulnerable people and its affect on increases in antisocial behaviour.

As has happened in the past, following Haringey's Licensing Team's refusal of an application, the company concerned takes Haringey to court and requires them to prove that the specific betting shop/adult gaming centre etc will have an impact on public health, vulnerable people, antisocial behaviour etc, which is very difficult to do. Generally when this happens, the decision of the Licensing Team is overruled by the court and the licence is granted. As going to court makes this an extremely expensive process I would imagine that the Licensing Team is only able to refuse applications when the evidence is watertight, otherwise the licence will ultimately be granted by the court and Haringey tax payers' money will have been wasted.

In the case of 48 Grand parade it is possible that the Licensing Team will have a strong enough case to refuse the applications. This is because Agora, the company applying for the licences, has applied for three separate licences for a single building, (which would enable them to treble the number of slot machines.) They have said that they will separate the room into three using Perspex separators, which is just ridiculous. It's a nasty plot by a company that clearly has no regard whatsoever for local people, the local area, nor for the people who get sucked into their establishments to great detriment to themselves and their families. However, on the plus side, by applying for three licences they may have shot themselves in the foot and given the Licensing Team a stronger-than-normal case, within the law, for refusing the applications. So - it is essential that as many of us local residents as possible contact the Licensing Team to object to this. The more objections (primarily focusing on these grounds), the stronger the case.

In future, I think we need to look towards getting the law changed.
 
(Response from Nora Mulready, Harringay Labour Party Member)

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