A planning application to turn an empty unit on a Cambridgeshire high street into a gambling shop has been submitted. Applicant Ticketgrange Limited hopes to expand an existing gambling shop at New Horizon Amusements into an empty unit on Bridge Street in Peterborough.
The empty shop was previously a branch of The Works before the store relocated to 52 Bridge Street. If approved, the application would see the unit become another ‘adult gaming centre’.
Documents submitted with the application said the plans would bring the unit “back to life”. It added: “The applicant already has an established business in the adjoining property, and now wishes to naturally expand the business into the adjoining property.
“Bingo Premises/AGCs are adult amusement centres which consist of gaming machines for the entertainment and leisure of their customers. These establishments are common in town centres and High Street locations and are considered to be functionally compatible in this location.”
The proposals would see the ground floor become a gambling shop with no external changes planned for the building. A resident said they objected to the planning application, saying: “Peterborough city centre already looks awful as is, we don’t need anymore betting shops to be added.”
A response from the conservation officer noted the shop’s location directly opposite Peterborough’s Town Hall. It said: “The proposal would result in an unusually large single unit – one single and one double unit into one which will wrap around the corner onto Princes Street.
“The creation of a single unit and the creation of a ‘plot width’ of this scale will alter the character and appearance of the area and will alter the way that the area functions, resulting from the change of use will impact upon the character and appearance of the conservation area. I note that the application does not detail what the proposed opening hours would be.”