Sheffield betting shop wants to expand despite concerns over crime and gambling harm

A family run betting business wants to expand in Sheffield city centre despite concerns raised.

A family-run betting shop is looking to expand so it can “offer the regular customers better and more modern facilities” in Sheffield city centre.

Sheffield City Council’s licencing sub-committee will next week (Tuesday, February 27) discuss the case of Bet Extra on Market Place, near the Castle Square tram stop, as the owners are applying to expand their business.

A document added the number of betting offices in Sheffield city centre has reduced significantly in recent years from 15 shops to eight – this, the document said, has therefore reduced the number of fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT) from 60 to 32 too.

Another document said there will be no increase in the number of the FOBT machines at the premises as these are capped at a maximum of four in each licensed betting shop.

However, the current application has met some objections, a document published ahead of the meeting said.

Among the objectors were the Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership, The Licensing Authority, The Green Party City Ward Councillors, a local resident from the Gambling with Lives charity and ChangingSheff.

A safeguarding manager from Sheffield Children Safeguarding Partnership said the area has seen an increase in anti-social behaviour among young people. They added when the business was awarded its licence 10 years ago, there was a “limited understanding” of gambling disorders and harms.

In addition to this, a licensing enforcement and technical officer from the licensing authority told the officers they would object to the application due to the applicants’ local authority risk assessment failing to acknowledge the “nearby sensitive building location, in particular the young and vulnerable persons”.

These places – a McDonalds’, Quasar and the National Videogame Museum, for example – are where teenagers “hang out and cluster in”, they added.

The three City ward councillors from the Green Party have “strongly” objected to the plans too citing the same issues (safeguarding and anti-social behaviour).

However, in conclusion, the representatives of the business owners said: “This is an application to extend the facilities of an existing independent operator who has traded in this location since 2013.

“In that time the number of licensed premises in central Sheffield has reduced by seven, from 15 to eight.

“Notwithstanding those closures the applicant is keen to invest in this locality to offer better facilities to his largely repeat/regular customers.”

The hearing will be held at 10am on Tuesday (February 27) at Sheffield Town Hall.