Paulette Hamilton MP has submitted a further objection to the planning application for another bookies on Erdington High Street. The link between crime, anti-social behaviour and betting shops on Erdington High Street is crystal clear.

Read the letter below:

Planning Committee
Birmingham City Council
Council House
Victoria Square
Birmingham B1 1BB

 

Dear Planning Committee,

 

21^st July 2022

 

Planning Application Number: 2022/02444/PA

 

Further to my letter of 19th May 2022, I am writing once again to object in the strongest possible terms to the planning application that has been made in relation to the commercial premises at 56 High Street, Erdington, Birmingham B23 6RT that could see it turned into a betting shop.

 

My constituents, including local businesses owners in the area, believe this would be hugely detrimental to the area. There are already seven betting shops along the High Street and this is something that we should be aiming to decrease, not increase. I understand that the planning application was recently deferred, with the Committee next due to discuss it on 28th July 2022, so I have taken the opportunity to ask West Midlands Police to provide me with some clear evidence of the link between crime and anti-social behaviour and the existing betting shops on the High Street.

 

Since 2012, the police have either been called to or received reports of a shocking 38 offences directly associated with betting shops on Erdington High Street.

 

The offences breakdown as follows:

 

Public order offences: 11
Criminal damage: 9
Theft: 5
Robbery: 4
Burglary: 2
ASB: 1
Lower-level assault: 2
Serious assault: 2
Sexual assault: 1
Threatened with a bladed article: 1

 

In fact, since obtaining these statistics I have been advised that there was an incident of wounding under Section 18 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 at one betting shop on 20th July 2022. I understand that the innocent victim was punched after intervening in an argument between two customers over money that was in a roulette machine.

 

The link between rising crime and anti-social behaviour and betting shops on Erdington High Street is crystal clear, and I trust that the Planning Committee will take this into account. The last thing we need in the area is an additional bookies, and I want to reaffirm my total objection to planning application 2022/02444/PA.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Paulette Hamilton MP