The government has announced it is scrapping the 'aim to permit' principle from the Gambling Act 2005. This change, announced on Monday, will grant local councils and communities increased authority over the establishment of new gambling venues on their high streets.
Previously, councils were expected to approve new gambling premises, even when local communities expressed opposition. Labour MP for Brent Central, Dawn Butler, campaigned for years to change this rule, stating that the 'aim to permit' principle had stripped local people of power to shape their communities.
Ms Butler highlighted the scale of gambling in areas like Brent, where gambling premises outnumber supermarkets in 17 of 22 wards, with 81 licensed venues across the borough. She also noted a 2023 report estimated between 117 and 496 gambling-related suicides in England annually.