𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A horse racing bookmaker has hit out at Andy Burnham after the Prime Minister announced that councils are to be given powers to stop betting and vape shops taking over their high streets.

Local authorities will be able to refuse new betting shops if there are significant local concerns, while vape shops will require planning permission for the first time to prevent an explosion in the vendors on Britain’s high streets. Speaking in a statement on Monday, August 10, Burnham said: “For many people, the high streets they grew up with have been hollowed out and become unrecognisable over decades of decline. The rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services, and community spaces that people are crying out for.

“That’s not on. I said we would improve Britain’s high streets, and that’s exactly what we are starting to do. We’re putting communities back in control and giving local people a real say over what opens on their high street. Local councils will be given the powers they need to rein in unwanted shops and bring town centres back to life.

“High streets are the beating heart of local communities, but for too long Westminster has stood by while they have been in decline. This government is committed to restoring our high streets and bringing back hope across Britain.”

Burnham’s comments have received mixed reviews from the general public, though it’s safe to say those working in the betting industry haven’t agreed with what he said. Indeed, Andy Geraghty, a booker at the York Ebor Festival on Wednesday, has responded to Burnham’s comments and believes he made a “sweeping statement”.

When asked about Burnham’s plans, Geraghty told ITV: “I don’t think Andy Burnham would be welcome to come in the ring with his comments. We are a legitimate industry, highly regulated. We pay an enormous amount of tax to the exchequer. To sweep us up with vape shops, he said we were ‘dodgy’ – a sweeping statement. It’s wrong.”

While Geraghty said that Burnham branded betting shops as ‘dodgy’, the Prime Minister did not say that exact word.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner defended Burnham’s comments in a statement of her own after plans were published.

“People know when their high street isn’t working for them,” Rayner said: “Whether it’s the vape shop or betting shops that’s opened with no say from locals, the shopfront that’s seen better days, or the sense that nobody’s in control.

“These problems have built up over years, but this government won’t leave councils and communities powerless to crackdown on everyday eyesores that blight our high streets. That’s why we’re giving local leaders the power to say no to what doesn’t belong on their high street, and the tools to fix it themselves.”

The Prime Minister intends to scrap the so-called “aim to permit” rule, which limits the ability of local authorities to prevent betting shops and 24-hour slot machine venues opening in their area. Planning permission will also be required for outlets selling e-cigarettes as part of efforts to give communities a greater say under the proposals.

Adult gaming centres offering up to 24 hours of access to slot and fruit machines will also require planning permission under the shake-up, expected to come into effect at the start of next year.