Casinos not a good bet for Wandworth (From Wandsworth Guardian)

Casinos not a good bet for Wandworth

5:40pm Saturday 13th October 2012 in News

Councillors are hoping to continue blocking any hopes of Wandsworth becoming home to a casino.

Wandsworth Council is undertaking a fresh round of public consultation as part of a legal requirement to update its policy on gambling.

Launching the consultation, councillors on the culture, environment and community safety committee said they firmly believed that the borough’s "largely residential nature" made it the wrong place for new casino premises.

Wandsworth first adopted a "no casinos" policy in 2006, when new gambling laws were introduced in the UK - the legislation requires local authorities to review their policies every three years.

Councillor Jonathan Cook, the local authority's culture spoksman, said: "Our view is that allowing casinos could prove a big nuisance to local residents, while the borough’s thriving night-time economy could also be badly affected and this would be bad news for existing local businesses."

The consultation gives residents, who are in favour of a casino in the borough, the opportunity to oppose the council's stance on the matter.

To take part in the consultation visit www.wandsworth.gov.uk/licensing - the closing date for responses is October 26.