The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has received Royal Assent.
The Act will introduce new Gambling Impact Assessments (GIAs) to address the proliferation of gambling shops on the high street, so councils can prevent new gambling shops opening.
Gambling Impact Assesments (GIAs) will empower local councils to reject new betting venue licences, overturning the long-standing “aim to permit” rule, by evaluating local saturation and potential harm.
Councils will now be able to use the harmful impact of local gambling shops in decisions on whether to allow new ones on the high street – bringing gambling closer to alcohol licensing.
1.4 million adults suffer with “problem gambling”, and £11bn of losses each year go to the gambling companies. Gambling-related harm in England also costs approximately £1.27bn every year annually; across healthcare, criminal justice and welfare, whilst 3.3 million online gamblers in Britain are in £10,000 of debt on average.
This is a significant first step toward delivering on Government’s pledge to strengthen local control over the concentration of gambling premises.
As a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Gambling Reform, alongside tackling clusters of gambling premises, I’m keen to see tougher measures on gambling advertising, sponsorship and marketing – especially online in children’s video games – along with ‘influencers’ and ‘content creators’ advertising or promoting gambling on social media or streaming platforms.
The change comes as part of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, though I was disappointed that The Green Party, Reform, Conservatives and Lib Dems were among those voting against it.
The Act will also introduce new measures to a new Community Right to Buy, which will give local people the first right of refusal for valued community assets such as shops and community centres when they are put up for sale.
Upwards Only Rent Review clauses in new and renewal commercial leases will also be banned, which previously prevented businesses’ rents from decreasing – even if the market rate decreased – for new commercial rental agreements.
On the roads, the Act introduces new national standards for taxi drivers, allowing enforcement officers to suspend licences issued by other local authorities where a driver is operating outside their licensed area.
More local transport authorities will be given new powers to enforce against dangerous pavement parking including through fixed penalty notices, and there will be new licencing powers for rental e-bikes which will allow local authorities to set specific requirements on parking, safety, and accessibility standards.
Read more on the Act here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/english-devolution-bill-receives-royal-assent