Controversial South Shields 24-hour ‘adult gaming centre’ gets green light

Plans for a 24-hour ‘adult gaming centre’ in South Shields have been given the green light by council development chiefs, despite objections from police.

South Tyneside Council’s planning department has approved an application for 30 King Street in the town’s Beacon and Bents ward.

The premises was previously occupied by betting shop Betfred which was granted permission to move to a larger premises in King Street last year.

New plans from applicant Noble Corp Ltd, submitted to the council in October, 2023, aimed to transform 30 King Street into an adult gaming centre.

Adult gaming centres are a different planning class to traditional betting shops and typically offer low-stakes slot machines, bingo machines or tablets.

Last year, one adult gaming centre on King Street won permission for a 24-hour opening “trial run” to allow council planners to assess its impact.

Proposed floor plans for 30 King Street set out spaces for a main shop floor area, as well as an office and toilet facilities.

A planning application submitted to council officials said eight full-time equivalent employees were proposed for the adult gaming centre, and that 24-hour opening hours were being applied for.

During a council consultation exercise on the plan, two public representations were submitted from addresses in Leeds and Watford.

Concerns included impacts on the “retail character and function of the primary shopping frontages of the town centre”, as well as concerns about residential amenity and the number of ‘licensed gaming venues’ in South Shields.

Northumbria Police, as a consultee, also objected to the planning application and made reference to a crime impact assessment.

The police said the objection was linked to the “existing proliferation of gambling opportunities and implications that has on community health, as well as the likely policing, crime and disorder implications”.

However, no specific concerns were raised about the opening hours of the new adult gaming centre development.

After considering the planning application and assessing it against planning policies, South Tyneside Council’s planning department approved it on December 1, 2023.

Council planners, in a decision report, said “no direct link between adult gaming centres and significant levels of crime had been provided”.

While it was noted that there ”had been incidents at a nearby adult gaming centre, on average there has been one incident approximately every 3-4 months”.

A council decision report added: “The [police designing out crime officer] has also raised concerns regarding the morals of gambling and the resultant harm to health, personal finances and general wellbeing.

“Whilst these concerns are noted, these are outside the scope of the planning system.

“Concerns regarding the location of the development in close proximity to the proposed South Tyneside College, and the subsequent impact on young people are noted.

“However at the time of writing, no planning permission is in place for the proposed South Tyneside College, and in any case insufficient evidence has been presented that a juxtaposition of such uses would be problematical in public safety terms”.

Council planners added that a former betting shop was “able to operate with unrestricted opening hours” at the site and that the new development would have similar impacts in terms of “comings and goings” and noise levels.

The council decision report continued: “There are no residential properties in the immediate area and the area is predominantly commercial.

“So in this case, it is not considered that the opening of the adult gaming centre for 24hrs would be inappropriate, particularly given the commercial nature of the area, and the fact that the existing bookmakers could operate for 24hrs”.

Under planning conditions, the development must be brought forward within three years.

For more information on the planning application and council decision, visit South Tyneside Council’s planning portal website and search reference: ST/0598/23/FUL