Government to decide on rejected betting shop
LDRSA bid to open a betting shop inside a railway station is heading for a government planning appeal after the council rejected the plans over fears of gambling-related harm.
The appeal has been lodged against Sunderland City Council's decision to block proposals from gambling company BoyleSports to open a betting office in the city train station's main business unit in Market Square.
BoyleSports said the development would be "a significant, positive investment in a prominent vacant unit", creating local jobs.
But planning officers said it would "exacerbate a rigorously evidenced public health issue" and would "prejudice health and wellbeing in Sunderland".
The unit has been vacant since the multimillion-pound southern concourse officially opened to the public in December 2023 and is within walking distance of several other city centre betting shops, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
BoyleSports has stressed its stores "ensure responsible gambling".
The refusal followed a formal objection from the council's public health team, which noted the "scale of gambling-related harm in Sunderland", the "already high level of access and normalisation", and the "specific risks" associated with the proposed location.
An appeal statement argued previous points raised by council public health bosses were "unfounded" and said the "appropriate forum for the concerns raised is the licensing regime".
It went on to say the shop would "significantly enhance the vitality and viability of the city centre" by boosting footfall and spending, which the company argued needs to be given "substantial weight" under the latest national planning guidelines.
Public health chiefs maintained their objection, however, and said "key concerns remain unaddressed" and the proposal would "result in additional, avoidable population-level harm."
A council gambling-related harms health needs assessment in 2023 estimated more than "30,000 residents in Sunderland are affected directly or indirectly by gambling-related harm".
It was noted that the issue is more common among people already facing poverty or debt, mental health difficulties, and insecure employment or unemployment.
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