Gaming centre in 24-hour licence bid
A slot machine business has asked for a chance to prove a 24-hour licence won’t add to violence and disorder problems in Walsall town centre.
Luxury Leisure wants to overturn a restriction to its opening hours for a planned new adult gaming centre, based in a disused bingo hall, on Park Street.
And they have asked Walsall Council planning officers to grant a temporary 24-hour licence to allow their operation to be monitored.
The company had originally applied to relocate from its current Bradford Street premises, which has a 24-hour licence, to the old Luda building with the same opening hours.
But chief superintendent Phil Dolby, of Walsall Police, made a late objection raising concerns about the impact it would have on the town centre which has suffered from fatal stabbings and violence recently.
Members of Walsall Council’s planning committee approved the opening of the premises but under the restricted hours of 10am to 2am at a meeting in February.
At the hearing, Luxury Leisure’s regional operations director James Sturgess said ‘they had never had any issues of antisocial behaviour there’.
He added their staff were highly trained and added no alcohol would be served on the premises. But, while the company was supported by some members, the majority took on board the police concerns and restricted the hours.
Luxury Leisure’s agent Lichfields said: “The extant planning permission was granted on February 9 2023 by Walsall Planning Committee, who followed the Officer recommendation for approval.
“As part of this permission, condition three was imposed restricting the opening hours of the AGC from 10am until 2am.
“This application seeks the removal of condition three to allow the premises to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and considers the potential impact of continued operation of the premises between the hours of 2am and 10am only.
“However, to assuage any concerns that the council may hold, it is proposed that permission be granted for a temporary 12-month period to allow for monitoring to be undertaken to understand if the operational hours have any impact on crime and antisocial behaviour in the area.”
A decision on the application is expected to be made next month.
