Basharat Dad and Suriyah Bi, Labour’s candidates in Erdington ward, are objecting to a
planning application for a betting shop to open at 56 High Street, the former bank site.
Please sign our petition, and we will submit it to Birmingham City Council to show that the residents of Erdington do not want any more betting shops on our high street!

The full details are below, and you can also submit your concerns directly to the Council
here: https://eplanning.birmingham.gov.uk/Northgate/PlanningExplorer/PLComments.aspx?pk=1193106

– Application Number: 2022/02444/PA
– Application Type: Full Planning
– Site Address: 56 High Street Erdington Birmingham B23 6RT
– Proposal: Change of use of ground floor from a bank (Use Class E) to a betting office (Sui Generis) with associated external alterations
– Statutory Expiry Date 26-05-2022

We the undersigned make representation to object to change of use of ground floor from a bank (Use Class E) to a betting office (Sui Generis) with associated external alterations for
former bank, 56 High Street Erdington Birmingham B23 6RT

As residents living in Erdington and business owners on the High Street, our main concerns with regard to the licensing of another betting shop are;
1. The proliferation of betting shops in close proximity to one another increases the risk of addiction for people more susceptible to gambling problems. We now have over 7 betting shops all on our High Street, we need to reduce this number and not increase it. Erdington ward is high on social deprivation indices. Studies have shown that additive gambling of limited disposable income impacts negatively on families and children.

2. The risk of additional crime and anti-social behaviour, associated directly with the shop. The current betting shops have already increased crime and anti-social behaviour incidents on the High Street all associated with an increase in problem gamblers. The litter outside other gambling premises on the High Street shows that gambling is closely related to other harmful addictions. This has resulted in some local residents being too afraid to shop locally on the High Street, having a detrimental impact on other local businesses.

3. The majority of profits from a new betting shop is likely to be from the FOBTs rather than from over-the-counter betting, making this primarily a gaming not betting establishment. These highly addictive machines pose a greater risk for vulnerable members of the community, with those in low income brackets being most likely to develop a problem. “Gambling Harm – Time for Action” published in July 2020 found that half the adults in the UK gamble at least once a month. A third of a million of UK citizens are “problem” or “disordered” gamblers. It is estimated that for each problem gambler, six other people – a total of two million – are harmed by the breakup of families, crime, loss of employment, loss of homes and, ultimately, loss of life. It costs the UK over £1.2bn in services, namely mental health, police and homelessness
(GambleAware report 2016). The high concentration of Betting Shops, as we already see in and around Erdington High Street encourages problem gamblers to move from shop to
shop and continue betting.