Planning boost for £35 million Yarmouth casino proposal
Posted by Gavin Smith on 28 May 2009 at 10:05
A £35 million new casino plan for Yarmouth has got through its final planning requirement and now needs only a licence and final council approval.
The Norwich Evening News reports the planned venue has been approved by Go East, a regional development agency, having already got through local council planning processes.
Albert Jones, the Yarmouth businessman behind the project, was quoted by the paper as saying he was "absolutely delighted" by news of the approval.
'The Edge' is now the only similar scheme for the area which has planning permission. Other interested parties have not yet submitted formal drawings of their schemes.
According to the Evening News, Mr Jones wants to build the facility as part of an eightstrong national chain and make it part of a leisure complex close the outer harbour.
The borough council will now invite applications for the casino licence later this year and the project must get this if it is to become a reality.
Quoted by the paper, Mr Jones added: "We have got plans that are deliverable. So long as we get the licence, we have all the finance in place for a scheme that will create 1,000 jobs and give a big boost to the whole of East Anglia, not just Yarmouth and the seafront.
“We have an empty site that is another plus. From first going on site to being able to start operating would only take about 30 months."
Also on the cards for the site is a four star 138-room hotel, a cinema, bowling alley, restaurants and other facilities at the South Denes spot.
The Evening News report also said Mr Jones noted there was "additional interest" from firms keen on developing on other areas of the scheme following the planning permission success.
Representatives from the borough council said a policy on issuing the casino licence would now be drawn up before applications were taken.
Other firms are still expected to be heavily interested despite the planning approval given to Mr Jones' scheme. Getting approval from planners is not essential before applying for a casino licence.
According to the paper, Patrick Duffy, another Yarmouth businessman, has also developed a £35 million plan which would be focused on the current Palace Casino, while other developers are thought to be looking at a casino on land owned by the local council.
The Evening News added Mr Duffy has said he would not "rush into" a planning application and any scheme must involve locals, the council and the developer to meet the area's needs.
