Worries voiced Peterborough city centre is gambling with its future at growth of betting outlets

Concerns have been voiced that Peterborough is gambling with the future of its city centre as the number of betting shops and gaming centres grows.

Fears surround the proliferation of betting shops – many operating 24/7 – and amusement arcades which some fear only helps to drive up the amount of late night anti-social behaviour in the city centre.

Now calls have gone out for the powers that be to take action to plan out how the city centre should look and what type of offer should go where.

Some of the concerns are shared by Peterborough City Council leaders who want to hear the public’s views but as yet are committed to taking any action that might tackle the issue.

Indeed, it can be argued that betting shops and arcades are good for the city, taking retail space that might stand empty and certainly helping to create jobs and revenue through pay for staff and business rates for the city.

A snapshot of Peterborough city centre shows there is rich offer of betting shops including well known names like Coral, Ladbrokes, William Hill, Paddy Power, Jennings Bet and Betfred plus adult gaming centres including a recently expanded New Horizon Amusements in Bridge Street, and Merkur Slots, which has four outlets in the city centre.

Indeed, the growth of adult gaming centres and betting shops in Peterborough city centre and other cities in the UK was highlighted recently The Guardian.

It quoted Gambling Commission figures that show there are now more than 14,200 £2-a-spin slot machines in Britain, each making £32,600 annually from customers.

It states: “On that basis, every terminal is sucking a sum close to Peterborough’s average salary out of the fragile local economy.”

Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes told the Peterborough Telegraph: “People are fed up with our streets being turned into the Wild West by gambling shops.

“Whilst no one is against consumer choice, we have far too many gambling and betting shops in the city.

“I have consistently spoken out for a new deal for the city centre, including tougher action on anti-social behaviour, more police, and measures to stop the unchecked growth of gambling shops.

“I want to see Peterborough City Council take a tougher line, with clear recognition of the social impact of these stores, alongside stronger action in planning policies and the Local Plan.

“Peterborough should join other local authorities - and myself - in calling for more effective powers for local government to help prevent the overdevelopment of these kinds of stores.”

North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling said: "Locally, there’s growing concern about the rise in gambling outlets and whether the balance has tipped too far.

"These businesses are legal and do generate income, but councils currently have limited powers to shape what opens on their high streets - even when there’s strong feeling in the community.

"That needs to change.

“Councils should have stronger tools to limit the clustering of gambling shops and to prioritise the kinds of businesses that bring real long-term value to our communities.

“It should be about creating high streets that reflect local needs, not just who can pay the most rent."

Their views are shared by the city development and heritage guardian, Peterborough Civic Society,

Toby Wood, vice-chairman of the Peterborough Civic Society, said: “We need to have a plan for the future of the city centre.

"We need to ask ourselves what we want our city centre to look like.

"There has been a huge increase in the number of people living in the city centre. Many say there is nothing to do here.”

However, council chiefs highlight the need to balance the economic good of betting shops with the good of the community.

Councillor Alison Jones, Peterborough City Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said: “We are aware of growing public concern regarding the number and concentration of gambling outlets in the city and recognise the need to balance economic activity with community wellbeing.

“We encourage residents to share their views through upcoming consultations or by contacting the council's licensing team directly."

But independent charity GambleAware is in no doubt about what attracts betting venues to cities and their impact on local people.

Zoë Osmond, chief executive for GambleAware, said: “Previous research has found that high street gambling venues, such as betting shops, cluster in the most deprived areas of the country.

"Independent research commissioned by GambleAware found that individuals in the most deprived neighbourhoods are over twice as likely to experience gambling-related harm compared to those in the least deprived areas.

“Additionally, further studies indicate that people in more disadvantaged communities disproportionately account for the highest gambling losses.

"Those using high street electronic gaming machines were found to be over 10 times more likely than average to be experiencing ‘problem gambling,’ which can have a corrosive effect on people’s lives, finances, careers and relationships.

“Anyone worried about how gambling makes them feel, can search GambleAware or contact the National Gambling Helpline, available 24/7 on 0808 8020 133 for free and confidential advice, tools and support.”

.A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire police said providing figures for incidents of anti-social behaviour was difficult but added: “Anti-social behaviour often centres around communal areas where there are likely to be common high street outlets, of which bookmakers are just one.

"In terms of anti-social behaviour, it is a priority for many of our neighbourhood policing teams across Cambridgeshire and our officers are working hard to tackle it as we know it is something people really want us to focus on.

"We urge the public to report incidents to us, either online or via 101.

"Information is vital so we can identify trends and issues and prioritise our work accordingly.”