Northampton casino bids for 24-hour opening
Posted by Gavin Smith on 29 Apr 2009 at 08:04
A town could see its first-ever 24-hour, seven-day-a-week casino if an application is successful.
Northampton, already home to four town centre casinos, has now seen one of them apply for 24 hour opening permission.
The Northampton Chronicle reports owners of the Gala Casino, at the Sol Central complex in Marefair, already have a 24 hour licence but have now applied to the local council to actually keep it open 24 hours.
Executives said they had applied for the measure to bring the venue in line with opening times run at other outlets owned by the same firm.
Quoted by the Northampton Chronicle, a Gala company spokesman, Sarah Mercer, said: "It will also offer our management more flexibility and offer the same facilities to our customers whether they're in Aberdeen or Northampton.
"It doesn't necessarily mean we'll open at these times all the time. If we get the licence, we'll look at opening times then."
But some people have raised concerns on the prospect of the venue being open 24 hours a day.
One local councillor, Tess Scott, who represents the town centre area which includes the casino, said the local authority would have to "look at it very carefully", according to the Chronicle.
She said early morning opening would be the big difference to the current hours, and also said people who live close to the area could be impacted. She also said it could make a difference to people who are already gambling too much.
According to the paper her standpoint was backed by councillor Tony Clarke. Quoted by the Chronicle, he said: "While I accept a casino is a late night operation, if there is any chance of a nuisance being caused for neighbouring residents then the council will have to impose conditions on the licence."
The official application on the opening hours will be considered by the borough council and West Northamptonshire Development Corporation, with the decision being delivered by June.
Gala is also set to up its presence in Northampton by bringing its "Magic Bus", a mobile casino, to the town's market square next month.
