 |
Surrey
Heath Borough Council Surrey Police Woking Area
Primary Care Trust Surrey County
Council |
NEWS
RELEASE |
Surrey Heath
To Look At Submitting A Bid For A Casino In The Borough
The report to Surrey Heath’s Full Council on Wednesday 14th December
2005, considered whether a bid should be submitted to the Gambling Advisory
Panel to issue a licence for a casino in the Borough of Surrey Heath.
Cllr. Moira Gibson, Leader of the Council, said “The Council will
be expressing an interest in bidding to the Advisory Panel and in the
near future when the Government regulations and guidelines become clear,
will take a final decision on bidding. If the Council decides that a development
of this kind should proceed, we will work closely with partners, to ensure
that the concerns of our residents are taken into consideration and that
such a facility contributes effectively to the long term vision for the
Borough.”
The Executive previously considered the report on Tuesday 29th November 2005, but referred the decision to the Full Council without a debate. Full Council were asked to consider whether a bid for a large or small casino should be made, taking into consideration the responses to the consultation which took place earlier this month.
The Council has decided that it wishes to keep its options open, with regard to submitting a bid to the Casino Advisory Panel for the right to licence a casino by only expressing its interest in applying for a licence at this stage.
Many differing views were expressed by both those responding to the consultation and all members of the political parties.
The procedure for submitting a bid has not yet been finalised by the Government and it is not yet possible to assess the likely cost to the Council of preparing a bid therefore, taking a final decision in the absence of this information would not be sensible for the Council. Guidance on these matters will not be available until January and an in-depth report on procedures and costs will then be submitted to a future meeting of the Full Council.
If the Council decides to bid for a licence after financial discussions, then they will be competing with many other Local Authorities for the right to issue one of the 17 licences throughout England and Wales. The probability is that the casinos will be distributed on a regional basis and not located in neighbouring Local Authority areas. Competition is therefore likely to be tough and any investment in the bidding process will not be recovered if unsuccessful.
For further information about
the Gambling Act 2005, its implementation, and the roles and responsibilities
of Licensing Authorities, please visit the Department of Culture, Media
and Sport (DCMS) web site www.culture.gov.uk – Look under ‘Gambling
& Racing’. Alternatively please visit the Surrey Heath web site
www.surreyheath.gov.uk – Look under ‘Council’, ‘Licensing’
and then ‘The Gambling Act 2005’.
For further information or photographs contact:
Amanda Gow, Press & Communications Officer 01276 707312
Jenni Wheller, Communications Assistant 01276 707415
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