Town moves closer to new casino as policy is drawn up
Posted by Gavin Smith on 29 Apr 2009 at 08:04
A North Yorkshire town is looking more likely to gain its second casino after officials started to iron out a new gambling policy.
The Scarborough Evening News reports the local council has also set aside a budget of up to £5,000 to move the plan forward.
Scarborough is one of 16 locations in Britain which has been given permission for a new casino under laws introduced last year.
The town has been given a licence for a small casino premises, meaning it can get a facility with an area of 750 to 1499 sq metres in size.
Quoted by the Scarborough Evening News, licensing officer Una Faithful said: "The primary objective is that the design and impact of the casino should have a positive effect and change the image of the street or locality. The casino should be on a site which is in an area in need of improvement or redevelopment."
Also on the list of places given licences for small casinos are Wolverhampton, Bath, East Lindsey, which is in Lincolnshire, Swansea, Luton, Stranraer and Torbay.
The paper also says there are three sites in Scarborough which have been earmarked as a possible spot for a casino - the town centre, and North Bay and South Bay.
Local councillors have also closely examined responses from the public on the gambling policy and the plan, with officers reportedly "amazed" at the number of responses and adding in general the public were in agreement with the policy.
Scarborough could be in for a major boost when the casino plan goes ahead. Quoted by the Evening News, councillor David Jeffels said of the scheme: "The aspirations are very wide ranging. If half of them are achieved it will benefit the town very considerably."
