Barnet Council is poised to gain significantly enhanced control over gambling licenses, a development stemming from discussions at a recent Licensing and General Purposes Committee meeting and anticipated new national legislation. The English Devolution and Communities Empowerment Act 2026 is set to introduce gambling impact assessments, a move that will empower local authorities with greater influence over license refusals and allow for the incorporation of local concerns and harms into policy.
This enhanced control is a direct response to councillors' concerns regarding the proliferation of gambling establishments and the perceived difficulties in objecting to applications under existing national legislation, which some feel favours gambling institutions. The new legislation, through gambling impact assessments, is expected to give local authorities more control over refusals
and enable the inclusion of local information and harms in policy,
potentially addressing this imbalance.
During the meeting, Jennifer Barrett, Service Manager of Environmental Protection and Licensing, provided an overview of the council's forthcoming powers. While Councillor [Name Redacted] raised questions about an apparent increase in gambling establishments, it was clarified that the figures presented encompassed a broader range of premises, including schools and charities, rather than a specific rise in commercial gambling venues.
Discussions also explored the potential for local authorities to cap the number of gambling establishments in specific areas. It was explained that implementing such a cap would necessitate a formal policy decision by the council, which must be informed by robust data. To support this, a joint project with public health is underway to map gambling establishments and consider factors such as areas of deprivation.
This data will be crucial for informing future policy decisions, including potential changes to the number of gambling venues allowed.
The specific criteria Barnet Council will use for these gambling impact assessments will involve incorporating local information and harms in policy.
The ongoing mapping project, in conjunction with public health, will be instrumental in gathering this vital data. The meeting's proceedings and related documents can be found in the Public reports pack.
