Powers to protect ‘special’ York high streets welcomed
Moves to give councils greater powers over local high streets have been welcomed in York amid warnings traders could be caught up in a blanket crackdown.
Cllr Dave Merrett, City of York Council’s Labour planning spokesperson, said no one wanted high streets where every other store is a vape or betting shop.
Matt Boxall, the council’s public protection lead, said new proposals to give officials more control over where vape stores, betting shops and adult gaming centres can open were welcome.
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But vaping and gambling industry bodies have warned the moves could see legitimate businesses lumped in with rogue traders and ignored the real threat to high streets.
It comes after the Government unveiled plans to curb the spread of vape and betting shops and adult gaming centres.
Photograph: Joe Gerard / LDRS
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the proposals aimed to reverse decades of decline on high streets which had been hollowed out and left unrecognisable to local people.
Proposed measures include requiring planning permission for new vape shops and stopping them opening near schools.
The Gambling Act’s ‘Aim to Permit’, which restricts the ability of councils to block betting shops and adult gaming centres offering slot and fruit machines all hours, would be revoked.
Authorities would also be able to close premises for up to a year, double the current six months, to help the police investigate traders suspected of links to organised crime.
That follows a national crackdown backed by £30m on rogue traders linked to money laundering, tax evasion and illegal working.
Independent businesses like bakeries are important. Photograph: YorkMix
Cllr Merrett said he was pleased the Government was acting so that high streets would continue to be places where people wanted to spend time.
He said: “Nobody wants a high street where every other shop is a vape shop or betting shop.
“We want independents, cafés, pubs, butchers, bakers, shops and services, and new businesses bringing something different to an area.
“York has some fantastic local high streets and local shopping areas, and we should be able to protect what makes them special.”
Mr Boxall said the announcement came after officials locally had strengthened their efforts to tackle illegal vape and tobacco sales.
He said: “Vapes can play an important role in helping people quit smoking, the council already has a gambling policy that helps regulate licensed gambling premises in York.
“We are also using recent Government funding to recruit an apprentice Trading Standards Officer to help build future enforcement capacity, while a number of investigations are currently ongoing.”
Photograph: Canva
But John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association said the new system would needed to be designed properly to avoid harming legitimate businesses.
The head of the industry body said: “We support action to tackle the proliferation of garish vape shops that can make parts of our high streets look more like amusement arcades.
“For many smokers, specialist vape shops provide the advice, product knowledge and ongoing support that can help them make that transition successfully, they are responsible local businesses and should not be treated in the same way as rogue or inappropriate operators.”
The Betting and Gaming Council, which speaks for the gambling industry, said the real threat to high streets was more shops standing empty resulting in fewer local jobs.
They said: “The suggestion that betting shops are spreading unchecked is simply wrong.
“It is wrong to lump highly regulated, licensed betting shops together with rogue or criminal businesses.”
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