Yarmouth to benefit from casino rethink

30 January 2006 06:30

Momentum is building behind a rethink on the number of pilot super casinos in Britain - and Yarmouth could be set to reap the benefit.

That is the thinking of senior councillors following what they believe to have been a successful lobbying session in parliament.

Eleven local authorities around Britain have joined together to campaign for a change in the legislation, which currently states that only one regional - or super - casino will be given a license.

That decision was made on the eve of the general election by Labour, which had initially been pushing for eight licenses but backed down to avoid a potentially embarrassing defeat.

But now the local authorities, mindful that Blackpool is the run-away favourite for the one licence up for grabs, want MPs to reconsider their decision before that decision is made by the end of the year.

Yarmouth is one of the councils which have joined together to lobby parliament, along with Birmingham, Cardiff, Coventry, Glasgow, Sheffield, Southampton, Sunderland, Trafford (Manchester), Southend and Havering (Essex).

In a joint statement, the local authorities said: “One regional casino would be much too restrictive, particularly because it does not allow for an objective evaluation and needlessly closes the door on much-needed inward investment opportunities.

“Limiting the UK to only one regional casino will deprive local areas of exceptional regeneration opportunities and deprive local people of very important new opportunities.”

A two-hour lobbying session was held in the House of Commons last week with representatives from each council, including Yarmouth leader Barry Coleman, lobbying MPs from all parties.

Yesterday Mr Coleman said: “Politicians need to reconsider moving it back to eight regional casinos because one is not a trial at all.

“I'm told that the general consensus in the government is that they accept parliament's vote to have only one but that they would not mind a change of heart. It's up to members of parliament to push for a change.

“Nobody in parliament can think one regional casino is a good idea but it's a matter of them getting together to agree a change in policy.

“There won't be a quick fix but there is considerable lobbying for MPs to open the case for debate.

“There's momentum building for the project but we need to push our case very hard.”

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