Seaside gaming centre requests 24/7 opening

The owners of an adult gaming centre in Scarborough have applied to keep it open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, after having been refused permission twice before.

The Admiral adult gaming centre (AGC) on Westborough would be in constant operation if Luxury Leisure's proposal is approved by North Yorkshire councillors.

Its current opening hours are from 08:00 to midnight and, according to planning officers, the restricted hours were a key factor in originally granting permission to open the premises.

The proposal for a change to the centre's hours has been recommended for refusal and is due to be discussed at a meeting of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Planning Committee on 14 May.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), North Yorkshire Police said the operating hours should remain unchanged as the premises were located in an area with "high crime and disorder levels".

There were 488 crimes and 198 anti-social behaviour incidents recorded in the area between January 2025 and January this year, police said.

However, a letter submitted on behalf of the applicant stated there was "simply no planning justification to suggest the existing AGC use is a 'honey pot' for criminal or anti-social behaviour or disorder".

It added: "There is no crime associated with the existing AGC use during the existing permitted hours, and there is no reasonable basis to suggest there would be any increased crime or anti-social behaviour or disorder associated with 24-hour use of the premises."

In its submission to the council, North Yorkshire Police noted "there had been three reports of anti-social behaviour from the premises, two of which were directly linked to the premises and one was reported by a member of staff in relation to an incident that was occurring in the street outside".

Meanwhile, Scarborough Town Council opposed the plans on "the grounds of community impact, social cohesion and inclusion" and added that the "previous application was declined, so granting permission would create an undesirable precedent".

Two objections were also received from members of the public who said they were concerned about public safety and amenity, which "should be prioritised over 24-hour use".

While planners said the centre contributed to both the daytime and evening vitality and viability of the town centre, they warned that approving the proposal "would result in significant harm" to the residential amenities of neighbouring properties.

Luxury Leisure's agent said the company had sucessfully appealed against a council decision not to allow planning permission for the former Halifax bank in Whitby to be turned into a gaming centre.

However, a report prepared for next week's planning committee stated there were "site-specific considerations which fundamentally distinguish the Whitby appeal decision" from the Scarborough application.

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