News: Rotherham Council refuses plans for 24hr gaming centre
Plans to convert a vacant former bank in Rotherham town centre into a 24 hour adult gaming centre have been refused.
Rothbiz reported last month on plans from London-based Chongie Entertainment UK Ltd which trades as Little Vegas and Little Macau.
A relatively new entrant in the adult gaming centre (AGC) UK market, the Little Vegas brand was established in 2020 and now has 18 venues, mainly across the South East of England.
The website explains: "Little Vegas brings the feel of the casino right to your local high street. We offer the latest slot machine games, giving players an authentic and modern gaming experience."
Plans showed how the 1,500 sq ft unit would be brought back to life with rows of modern video slot machines around the edge with two islands of screens in the middle of the gaming centre.
A new lobby, toilet and coffee station are also shown on the plans which would create 7.5 FTE jobs.
The former Alliance & Leicester and Santander branch on College Street was most recently used as part of a family arcade.
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In refusing the plans without going through the council's planning board, officers concluded that a 24 hour operation would result in unacceptable noise and disturbance to neighbouring residents.
It was agreed that noise from within the premises could be controlled using mitigation measures but the same couldn't be said for noise generated outside the premises during the night,
The planning officer's report reads: "The proposal would result in customer arrivals and departures throughout the day and night, generating noise, activity and general disturbance in close proximity to residential properties. Unlike noise arising from within the premises, such impacts would be difficult to control or mitigate through planning conditions and, given the close relationship with nearby residential accommodation, are likely to adversely affect living conditions, particularly during night-time hours.
"The proposal is considered unacceptable and would result in significant harm to residential amenity."
Rotherham Council does operate a policy for supporting night-time entertainment uses but only when they "improve the range and diversity of uses within the town centre and do not give rise to unacceptable impacts on residential amenity." The policy further advises that uses operating beyond midnight will only be encouraged within the Westgate, Market Place and Corporation Street areas of the town centre.
The report said that the AGC use "does not support or contribute towards the retail function of the frontage" of the building which is on the town's primary shopping streets, and adds: "The proposal would not contribute positively towards the Council's strategy for directing and managing evening economy uses within Rotherham Town Centre and would fail to support the creation of a diverse and attractive town centre offer for a broad range of users."
The operator has had some success on securing planning permission for other towns on appeal, some for 24 hour operations and others with restricted hours.
In Rotherham, Rothbiz reported in 2022 that Merkur Slots had opened in a vacant unit following a partly successful planning appeal. It wanted a 24 hour operation but was restricted to operating between the hours of 8am and midnight.
In 2023, Royal Amusements secured planning permission for a vacant unit on Effingham Street for an AGC. Planners concluded that: "There is no doubt that the proposed use would not generate the level of footfall from a retail use, but in comparison to a vacant premises this would still be a benefit, including associated linked trips and employment."
Rotherham Council said that a 24-hour a day operation could not be supported and a condition was imposed to ensure that an otherwise unacceptable development could be made acceptable by limiting the opening hours to between 8am and midnight. An Adult Gaming Centre Premises Licence enabling 24 hour use of Category B machines here was approved by the Council's Licencing team earlier this year.
Images: BRH
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Rothbiz reported last month on plans from London-based Chongie Entertainment UK Ltd which trades as Little Vegas and Little Macau.
A relatively new entrant in the adult gaming centre (AGC) UK market, the Little Vegas brand was established in 2020 and now has 18 venues, mainly across the South East of England.
The website explains: "Little Vegas brings the feel of the casino right to your local high street. We offer the latest slot machine games, giving players an authentic and modern gaming experience."
Plans showed how the 1,500 sq ft unit would be brought back to life with rows of modern video slot machines around the edge with two islands of screens in the middle of the gaming centre.
A new lobby, toilet and coffee station are also shown on the plans which would create 7.5 FTE jobs.
The former Alliance & Leicester and Santander branch on College Street was most recently used as part of a family arcade.
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In refusing the plans without going through the council's planning board, officers concluded that a 24 hour operation would result in unacceptable noise and disturbance to neighbouring residents.
It was agreed that noise from within the premises could be controlled using mitigation measures but the same couldn't be said for noise generated outside the premises during the night,
The planning officer's report reads: "The proposal would result in customer arrivals and departures throughout the day and night, generating noise, activity and general disturbance in close proximity to residential properties. Unlike noise arising from within the premises, such impacts would be difficult to control or mitigate through planning conditions and, given the close relationship with nearby residential accommodation, are likely to adversely affect living conditions, particularly during night-time hours.
"The proposal is considered unacceptable and would result in significant harm to residential amenity."
Rotherham Council does operate a policy for supporting night-time entertainment uses but only when they "improve the range and diversity of uses within the town centre and do not give rise to unacceptable impacts on residential amenity." The policy further advises that uses operating beyond midnight will only be encouraged within the Westgate, Market Place and Corporation Street areas of the town centre.
The report said that the AGC use "does not support or contribute towards the retail function of the frontage" of the building which is on the town's primary shopping streets, and adds: "The proposal would not contribute positively towards the Council's strategy for directing and managing evening economy uses within Rotherham Town Centre and would fail to support the creation of a diverse and attractive town centre offer for a broad range of users."
The operator has had some success on securing planning permission for other towns on appeal, some for 24 hour operations and others with restricted hours.
In Rotherham, Rothbiz reported in 2022 that Merkur Slots had opened in a vacant unit following a partly successful planning appeal. It wanted a 24 hour operation but was restricted to operating between the hours of 8am and midnight.
In 2023, Royal Amusements secured planning permission for a vacant unit on Effingham Street for an AGC. Planners concluded that: "There is no doubt that the proposed use would not generate the level of footfall from a retail use, but in comparison to a vacant premises this would still be a benefit, including associated linked trips and employment."
Rotherham Council said that a 24-hour a day operation could not be supported and a condition was imposed to ensure that an otherwise unacceptable development could be made acceptable by limiting the opening hours to between 8am and midnight. An Adult Gaming Centre Premises Licence enabling 24 hour use of Category B machines here was approved by the Council's Licencing team earlier this year.
Images: BRH
