North Tyneside Council’s Labour administrations has welcomed plans from Prime Minister Andy Burnham to give local authorities more powers to reject applications for gambling venues.
The Labour group has claimed that a recently approved 24-hour slots casino in North Shields is proof that the laws around applications for gambling venues need to change.
This comes after a decision by the planning committee to reject a bid for a gambling arcade in the Collingwood Centre was overturned by the Planning Inspectorate, before a separate gambling permit for Luxury Leisure’s application was then approved by the council’s licensing sub-committee.
130 residents objected to the initial planning application in 2025, while public officials also condemned it, with Tynemouth MP Sir Alan Campbell writing to the council to reject the plans for the UK casino.
The Prime Minister’s plan includes revoking the ‘aim to permit’ rule, which limits the ability of town halls to refuse licences to gambling premises and similar venues.
“North Tyneside Labour has been clear that local communities should have a real say over what opens on their doorstep. The 24-hour gambling venue in North Shields showed exactly why the law needs to change,” said a Labour group spokesperson.
“Andy Burnham’s Labour government is now changing the rules and giving councils the stronger powers we have been asking for.
“That means when communities say they don’t want another betting shop, adult gaming centre, or vape shop taking over their high street, their council will finally have much greater power to say so,” they added.
Sir Alan Campbell MP said that he welcomes “a new approach”, explaining that he is “sorry that the law wasn’t strong enough to stop the bid for a slots casino in North Shields, even though residents, the Council and I, as the local MP, opposed it”.
“Hopefully residents will get a stronger voice and better protections in law in the future,” he added.