24-hour adult gaming centre at 27 Westgate Street, Gloucester

What was proposed

The applicant sought unrestricted 24-hour opening, seven days a week, by removing the existing opening-hours condition.

“Proposal: Removal of condition 7 (opening hours) of planning permission 16/00859/FUL in order to allow the adult gaming centre to open to customers unrestricted/ 24 hours a day.”

“The existing use of the ground floor of the building is as an Adult Gaming Centre. The upper floors of this unit are used as an office space associated with the existing use. The change of use of the building from dry cleaning to bingo and amusement was allowed at appeal on 20.04.1982. The site is currently occupied by ‘BeLucky’.”

Officer report

The site and current use

The site is the ground floor of a four-storey building containing an adult gaming centre, with associated offices above and mixed uses nearby.

“The application site comprises the ground floor of 27 Westgate Street. Westgate Street is a 4 storey building on the south- west side of Westgate Street. The area includes a wide mix of uses including retail, hairdressers, cafes, restaurants, pubs, takeaways etc on the ground floor. Some of the upper floors along Westgate Street appear to be in residential use.”

Officer report

Relevant planning history

Earlier permissions established the gaming-centre use, and a later permission allowed 24-hour operation across units 25 and 27 but had not been implemented.

“Following the grant of permission ref 24/00550/FUL, a section 73 application (24/00941/FUL) was granted on 6 th February 2025, which removed condition 6 (operating hours) attached to the permission. This allowed the unrestricted/ 24 hours daily use of units 25 and 27 Westgate Street as an Adult Gaming Centre.”

Officer report

What officers recommended

Officers recommended approval, concluding that unrestricted opening would not cause unacceptable noise, disturbance or harm to city-centre living.

“The report states that incremental change to noise levels caused by the Adult Gaming Centre, which operationally has low number of patrons who arrive and depart in ones and twos, in a city centre area where there is already established noise and activity, would be so small as to not impact average noise levels for the area.”

“The proposed extended opening hours are not considered to result in unacceptable levels of noise or disturbance and would form part of the mix of uses within Westgate Street. I therefore do not consider that this application goes against the Council’s aim to encourage City Centre living within Gloucester and would allow occupants of nearby residential properties to continue to enjoy the benefits of City Centre living without their living amenity being unacceptably…”

Officer report

Objections from residents

One neighbouring resident objected, citing noise, disturbance, crime, antisocial behaviour and harm to city-centre family life.

“The letter of objection was raised from a local resident with a young family who state they had chosen city centre living following the council’s efforts to encourage…”

Officer report

Who spoke at committee

The Principal Planning Officer, Planning Development Manager and Locum Planning Lawyer answered members’ questions and explained the planning issues.

Members’ concerns

Members debated gambling addiction, health and wellbeing, noise, antisocial behaviour, crime, city-centre living and the relevance of Policy SD14.

“Councillor S. Chambers noted that she had direct evidence from working with the former Gloucester MP, Richard Graham, where there were at least three cases of suicide in Gloucester related to gambling. She stated that she believed there was a direct link between the health and wellbeing of residents in the city and allowing a gambling premises to operate 24 hours a day.”

“Councillor S. Chambers stated that she believed the application contradicted Policy SD14 of the Joint Core Strategy, particularly in relation to health inequality. She noted concerns about people living on the street who may use the centre to warm up at night and then gamble. She said that health inequalities could contribute to suicide, of which she had at least three examples within Gloucester.”

Minutes

The committee’s decision

The committee refused the application because it would fail to improve environmental quality and worsen conditions affecting human health and health inequality.

“Councillor A. Chambers proposed, and Councillor Jones seconded a motion to refuse the application on the basis that the development fails to improve the environmental quality and exacerbates conditions that will impact on human health and cause health inequality, contrary to Policy SD14 of the Joint Core Strategy.”

“RESOLVED that the application was refused on the basis that the development fails to improve the environmental quality and exacerbates conditions that will impact on human health and cause health inequality, contrary to Policy SD14 of the Joint Core Strategy.”

Minutes