Betting shop plan for Slough High Street thrown out over harm to town centre

Plans to relocate a betting shop in Slough High Street have been thrown out by a Government inspector, who questioned its impact on the town centre.

Betfred, run by Done Brothers (Cash Betting) Ltd, had lodged a bid to open a new betting shop near the Queensmere Shopping Centre at 150-152 High Street.

But Slough Borough Council rejected the application, and cited worries about more gambling shops in the town centre and the effect on public health.

A planning inspector has now doubled down on that decision and said the Betfred plan would have an ‘adverse impact’.

“The main issue is the effect of proliferation of betting shops on the vitality of the town centre and people’s health and wellbeing,” inspector Alex Oyebade said in his report.

Slough Borough councillors have previously heard that the town had ‘too many’ betting shops, and more action needed to be taken to help people struggling with gambling problems.

A motion was agreed to recognise the harm problem gambling causes for residents at a full council meeting in October 2024,

Warnings over the impact of gambling in Slough were again thrust into the spotlight during the appeal over Done Brothers’ plan for the High Street Betfred.

Betfred was set up by brothers Fred and Peter Done in 1967and has more than 1,300 shops.

The company had planned to relocate its existing Betfred at 9 Mackenzie Street in Slough to a High Street location, which already features several betting shops from other companies.

“Along this section of the High Street, there appears to be a noticeably higher concentration of betting shops compared to other retail types,” Mr Oyedabe said.

“Their frequency makes them particularly prominent within the streetscape, standing out in contrast to the more varied and limited presence of other commercial uses.”

He added: “The proposal would intensify the concentration of betting shops in this part of the town centre, further reinforcing their visual and functional dominance.”

Questions about the public health impacts of betting shops were also considered by the inspector, which he said had a ‘direct and concerning correlation’.

The council submitted evidence that there was an established link between ‘the location of gambling establishments and areas of multiple deprivation’.

That link was made clearer, the inspector added, by a map of betting shops showing ‘a concentration of gambling centres in Slough’s most deprived areas’.

The inspector concluded: “I have also considered the appellant’s claim that the proposal would bring a vacant unit back into use and contribute to the evening economy, enhancing local vibrancy and passive surveillance within the town centre.

“While these benefits may offer some economic and social value, I attach limited weight to them.

“In my view, they do not outweigh the adverse impact the proposal would have on the overall vitality of the town centre, nor the potential implications for public health and wellbeing.”

A spokesperson for Betfred to the Express: “Our plan was to relocate our current shop, improve the facilities for our customers, and invest in the local area”