The Committee considered a report by the Lead Officer Commercial Regulation (circulated previously) regarding the Review of Gambling Act Statement of Licensing Principles.

The Lead Officer Commercial Regulation highlighted the following:

·         Following an eight-week consultation the Licensing and Community Safety Committee had considered the responses received and made a recommendation to Strategy and Resources Committee to adopt the latest Gambling Act Statement of Licensing Principles and a no-casino resolution to be adopted by Council.

·         The consultation responses could be seen at section 4.6 of the report.

·         82% of the 13 responses were in agreement with the no-casino resolution.

·         The reasons for the Licensing and Community Safety Committees agreement for a no-casino resolution could be seen at section 3.2 of the report.

·         Reference to the Councils corporate objective of ‘financial security’ was to be removed from the sixth paragraph of section 3.2 as ‘financial security’ of the Council did not include the ‘financial security’ of North Devon residents.

Councillor Bell had found a stat that the cost of gambling to North Devon households was in the region of £1.6million per annum.

RECOMMENDED:

(a)  That council adopt a no-casino resolution; and

(b)  That the revised Gambling Statement of Licensing Principles, as seen at Appendix A of the report, be adopted.  If adopted in line with 2.1.1 that Part B, 4.0 of the Gambling Statement of Licensing Principles be amended accordingly.