Jarrow MP backs Prime Minister’s plans to crackdown on vape and betting shops
Kate Osborne MP has welcomed the Prime Minister’s plans to save “hollowed out high streets” with a crackdown on vape and betting shops.
The Member of Parliament for Jarrow and Gateshead East has welcomed the Prime Minister’s plan to crackdown on on vape and betting shops in an effort to save the high street.
On Tuesday, August 11, Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced changes to planning policy to ensure that any retailers who want to set up shop selling e-cigarettes will have to seek permission from local authorities.
The Prime Minister has also targeted adult gaming centres (venues offering up to 24-hour access to gambling machines), which could also give councils the power to block new gambling arcades.
‘Now this Government is acting’
Kate Osborne, MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East, has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement and highlighted that it will help to tackle illicit trade on the borough’s high streets.
She said: “Earlier this year I brought together frontline police, retailers, councils, the Police and Crime Commissioner and other stakeholders to tackle the scourge of illicit trade and rogue businesses on our high streets.
“I said then that I would take what I heard directly to the Government and push for stronger powers.
“Now this Government, led by Andy Burnham, is acting - with tougher planning rules for vape shops and gambling premises.
“Stopping vape shops using loopholes to open as general convenience stores when they are just fronts will make a huge difference alongside Closure Orders doubling from six to 12 months to give police and councils more time to tackle businesses linked to organised crime.
“I’m proud to have helped put these concerns on the agenda, and I’ll keep pushing to make sure these new powers deliver real change for our communities.
“We must now ensure that the Council uses their powers - something that they now seem a bit reluctant to do and that the licensing scheme for vape retailers comes in as soon as possible.”
In force from early next year
Under the proposals, the government will tighten the definition of a ‘vape shop’ to stop businesses getting around the new rules by claiming to be a general convenience store or retailer.
Proposals to tackle the “hollowing out” of high streets are expected to come into effect at the start of 2027.