I am absolutely delighted that after six years of campaigning, the Government has announced that it will scrap the outdated “Aim to Permit” rule in the Gambling Act.
For too long, communities have watched their high streets become saturated with betting shops and adult gaming centres while councils have had one hand tied behind their backs when trying to stop them.
I started campaigning to change this after seeing first-hand what was happening on high streets in Brent. Since then, I have worked together with Brent Council and have taken the campaign to Parliament, launched a petition, brought a Government Minister to Harlesden to see the problem for themselves, raised the issue in Parliament and helped build a cross-party coalition of more than 280 MPs, councillors, mayors and campaigners calling for change.
This summer, that persistence paid off. The Government announced its intention to revoke Aim to Permit and give councils and communities a much stronger say over whether new gambling premises should be allowed to open in their area.
This victory belongs to everyone who signed our petition, wrote to their council, objected to applications, joined our campaign and refused to accept that nothing could be done.
It comes just weeks after another local victory in Brent East, when more than 200 residents came together to successfully oppose plans for another gambling premises on Walm Lane. We have shown what people power can achieve.
There is still work to do to ensure these changes are delivered in full, but this is a huge step towards giving our high streets back to the communities they serve.