Former Barclays Bank

Golden Slots (Southern) have applied for a gambling premises licence for an adult gaming centre in the old Barclays Bank at 169-171 Cricklewood Broadway.

The story so far: To open an adult gaming centre or a bingo hall, you need planning permission to use the premises for that specific purpose and then you need the gaming licence(s). Brent’s planning policy is tougher on betting shops and gaming centres than it is on bingo halls.

First, Golden Slots applied for planning permission for an adult gaming centre. When Brent planning department refused permission, Golden Slots applied for planning permission for a bingo hall and also appealed against the refusal. Brent planning granted permission for the bingo hall, so Golden Slots put in a licence application for that. But the planning appeal went to an inspector appointed by the national Planning Inspectorate; they overruled Brent, with reasoning that we do find odd, and granted permission for an adult gaming centre. So now Golden Slots have put in an application for an adult gaming centre licence.

That will be decided on by Brent’s Alcohol and Entertainment Licensing Sub-Committee. Those councillors will receive a report from a council licensing officer and probably one from the police, but not from the planning department – that’s out of the picture now.

Deadline March 12^th. The notice says “representations in writing to the licensing authority” but there’s an online form at https://mylicence.brent.gov.uk/registers/index.html?fa=licence_register&licence_id=30828&council_id=12 .