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12/09/2003
Councillor 'disappointed' by betting shop approval
Castlereagh Alliance Councillor Michael Long has said he fears that the "floodgates" have been opened to planning approvals to build betting shops in residential areas.
Cllr Long expressed his disappointment after the decision of the Courts to approve a licence for Eastwood's to open a bookmaker's shop on the Rosetta Road in South East Belfast.
Following a decision by the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) to overturn a Planning Service recommendation to refuse planning permission, the shop will now be able to open before Christmas.
Cllr Long said: "I am disappointed and angered that the wishes of local people, expressed in dozens of letters and in petitions containing hundreds of signatures, have been overridden. A bookmaker's shop will now open despite the fact that not a single letter or petition of support for the planning application was supplied.
"Given the PAC ruling, which went against Planning Service's recommendation, it was always going to be difficult to stop a licence being granted, as the strongest arguments against the application were of a planning nature."
Cllr Long said he was not only concerned about the negative impact the development would have on Rosetta, but also that the precedents set in the decision could result in the "floodgates" opening for many more successful bookmaker's applications in residential areas against the public's wishes.
"Having done all that I can to oppose this application, I can only hope that Eastwood's will abide by its commitment to ensure that there will be no detrimental impact to residential amenity. I can assure residents that I will continue to monitor developments to ensure that potential problems are effectively and swiftly dealt with," he added.
(MB)
Cllr Long expressed his disappointment after the decision of the Courts to approve a licence for Eastwood's to open a bookmaker's shop on the Rosetta Road in South East Belfast.
Following a decision by the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) to overturn a Planning Service recommendation to refuse planning permission, the shop will now be able to open before Christmas.
Cllr Long said: "I am disappointed and angered that the wishes of local people, expressed in dozens of letters and in petitions containing hundreds of signatures, have been overridden. A bookmaker's shop will now open despite the fact that not a single letter or petition of support for the planning application was supplied.
"Given the PAC ruling, which went against Planning Service's recommendation, it was always going to be difficult to stop a licence being granted, as the strongest arguments against the application were of a planning nature."
Cllr Long said he was not only concerned about the negative impact the development would have on Rosetta, but also that the precedents set in the decision could result in the "floodgates" opening for many more successful bookmaker's applications in residential areas against the public's wishes.
"Having done all that I can to oppose this application, I can only hope that Eastwood's will abide by its commitment to ensure that there will be no detrimental impact to residential amenity. I can assure residents that I will continue to monitor developments to ensure that potential problems are effectively and swiftly dealt with," he added.
(MB)
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