In April, we reported on a planning application from Reels Casino Slots Limited to convert the empty shop at 192 Norwood Road SE27 9AU into a 24/7 adult gaming centre. Despite Norwood Forum’s objections to the proposal, Lambeth Council approved the application, limiting operating hours to 8am-11pm.

Here are our objections which we outlined to Lambeth Council:

• Our wider town centre has many successful independent shops supplying a variety of services to the local community, and this already includes gambling shops. The proposed use will not fit with the other businesses in this shopping centre.
• The proposed 24/7 hours of operation are completely unacceptable for the area. We would expect customers and potential customers to gather outside before and after visits and fear the new adult gaming centre will attract some late night customers arriving by car at a location where there is little available parking. This will all lead to unacceptable levels of disturbance to local residents and possibly unacceptable public behaviour. Such an operating period would clearly also attract customers from far and wide and indeed from existing similar premises in neighbouring areas, e.g. the one in Brixton which operates 8am-10pm and that in Crystal Palace which operates 10am-11pm.
• We have serious concerns about the effects of gambling on vulnerable people, an increase in anti-social behaviour and a likely negative impact on the overall economic wellbeing of our local area. The premises would be passed by school children on their way to and from the nearby Elmgreen School and other schools, and we feel that the normalisation of such establishments should not be allowed in such a location.
• We recognise too that the opening of an adult gaming centre will have a specific adverse effect on the operation of the artist studios in the neighbouring Parade Mews.
• We understand there has been no local marketing of the premises; we expect normal marketing to attract much interest and lead to the opening of a business that will contribute positively to our town centre. Indeed Station to Station, our business improvement district, has pointed out that 11 new businesses have opened at this location over the past year and that there is still demand from other businesses.
• The Council, Norwood Forum and others have worked over a long period to improve the town centre - including through the removal of the Tulse Hill gyratory. We consider that a 24/7 adult gaming centre would fly in the face of our aspirations and the wellbeing of local residents and businesses.

Norwood Forum continues to work with our local BID, Station to Station, and local councillors and has now put in an objection to the license application which will be heard by the Lambeth Licensing Sub-Committee on 25 November. Councillor Olga FitzRoy, one of our local ward councillors for St Martin's ward, has advised she will be making an in-person representation to the sub-committee.

Update 2 December 2024

Approval has been given to the licensing application, subject to a number of conditions (see below).

The licensing application sought a Bingo Licence to operate under the default hours of Monday to Sunday 09:00 – 00:00 midnight for the provision of bingo, and the same hours for the provision of gaming machines in the premises. The sought hours of operation were subsequently reduced by the applicant. The key aspects of the decision are as follows. The Sub-Committee:

• Had sympathy with objectors who had raised issues regarding anti-social behaviour and nuisance in the vicinity.
• Noted no objections had been submitted by the responsible authorities, e.g. Licensing officers or the Police.
• Was satisfied the Applicant is a reputable operator and is proposing largely appropriate measures to meet the licensing objectives.
• Did however have some concerns in connection with the third licensing objective, namely the protection of children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling, and how the operation of this premises at this location would uphold this particular licensing objective. 

Decision with conditions

The application for a premises licence was granted subject to mandatory conditions and the following additional conditions:
i. The opening hours of the premises are modified to Monday to Sunday, 09:00 – 22:00 hours.
ii. Before the premises shall open, the licence holder shall contact local associations, offering to provide information on gambling support services and how their residents and members can self-exclude from the premises. For the purpose of this condition, the term local associations shall include the relevant local homeless/rough sleeping hostels/shelters, drug, alcohol and gambling treatment/support services, soup kitchens and other similar organisations as proposed or agreed with Lambeth Licensing Authority.
iii. There shall be one SIA licensed door supervisor employed at the front entrance to the premises from 16:00 to 22:00 hours daily. The need for an SIA door supervisor at all other times shall be risk assessed by the premises licence holder.
iv. The licence holder is required to review their risk assessment outside of the application process to ensure it is current on a quarterly basis, or where this is a result of an operational change.

The decision, along with all papers considered at the meeting (and in due course the minutes), can be found here on the Lambeth website.