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THE BALDOCK SOCIETY

DETAIL

Information from the NHDC Planning Officer dealing with the case confirms:

"The application has attracted over 20 individual objections so far and has been requested for consideration at Committee by Cllr Knighton. I am in on-going discussions with the agent regarding the submission of further information/details and if appropriate will update you accordingly once received."
 

DETAIL

Since writing, there have been a number of objections from within the Society about this application.
So the position of the Baldock Society has now changed and we do want to object to this application on the grounds that it would be an undesirable outlet for the town, will cause antisocial issues and generally not be in-keeping with a market town which is undergoing considerable enhancement works.
 

In addition, in support of its objection, The Baldock Society wishes to note that:

"The Gambling Act 2005 came into force on 1 September 2005 and seeks to strengthen consumer protection in relation to gambling whilst reducing the burden of regulation. In doing so it replaces the provisions of three existing Acts of Parliament".
Part of the act requires:
"Licensing Authorities must have particular regard to the location of and entry to Adult Gaming Centres to minimise the opportunity for children to gain access"

The location on a High Street, known for it's regular frequency of minors gathering in groups, at all hours, less than 100 metres from a Youth Club (part of the community centre), on the main route from residential parts of the town to the local schools must, in the opinion of the Baldock Society, be sufficient grounds for a license to be refused.
 

DETAIL

The committee have considered this application and would like to make the following observations:

1. This site is at the centre of the main town area and as such is one of the more visual units. We see that the application for signage is a separate application, and will therefore comment on this when the application is made. We will be looking very closely at this separate application as it is the most concerning aspect, signage, lighting and colours in particular. Our experience is that separate applications are made when they expect to have issues with the signage, this will not then affect the main application.

2. The colour of the shop front must be in-keeping with the building, the listing and the context of the "Enhanced" town centre. We do want to see a repeat of the colours used for the other "Gaming" outlets in the town (the Bookies).

3. It is interesting to note that the control of noise is paramount in the design of the unit, but there must be a quantative value set and a proper method of control put in place. Obvious things like leaving the front door open, must be addressed.

4. We are not convinced that Baldock requires such an outlet, is this type of facility already provided by the other gambling outlets in the town? We do not want saturation of particular types of outlets, but a balance.

5. Strict control must be placed on the "retail display" areas at the front of the unit. The internal colours, design and materials will be the main external visual display to the new "enhanced" street scene. It is of concern that unsuitable advertising merchandise would detract. We have concerns over the use of lighting and visual display units in the display area,. We note that this is a popular approach, avoiding the "advertising" consent issues but still creating a totally unsuitable external appearance and distraction to pedestrians and traffic (as can be seen by the estate agents window at the junction with Whitehorse Street, Hitchin Street and the High Street).

6. A restriction on the opening hours should be considered as we do not want a repeat of the 24 hour Tesco happening because there were no restrictions put in place when the council approved the application and therefore the council has no power to control the opening hours. This is a "market town" and should have hours that suit that environment, not a 24 hour environment more suitable to inner cities and commercial centres.

7. We would ask you to ensure that all adjacent property owners are consulted, in particular the residential properties on both sides of the High Street as this will affect them more than most. We would suggest a wider range than normal, perhaps 100 metres in both directions.

8. It is concerning that most of the documentation attached to this application is citing "appeals" and justifying the merits of such an establishment, rather than on the design. It is as though they are expecting a refusal, but telling the council how many appeals they have won, indirectly trying to influence the council. We know you will be making the correct decision for Baldock in accordance with planning issues and are therefore satisfied you are looking after our interests.

Thank you for considering our views on this application.

Yours sincerely,

Chairman
Baldock Society
 

This page last updated on 17/08/2008 21:15