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Twenty objections have been lodged, most of them from the tower block next door, and a Bexley licensing panel will consider the bid on 24 September.
Key facts
- Merkur Slots is seeking a licence to open a round-the-clock gaming venue at number 83 on Sidcup High Street
- Bexley Council's Licensing Sub-Committee considers the application on 24 September
- 20 objections, most from residents of Chaplin House next door
- Residents say they spent £28,000 on a security gate because of anti-social behaviour
A bid by Merkur Slots to run a gaming venue that would stay open around the clock goes before Bexley Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee on 24 September. The company is seeking a premises licence for the unit at number 83 on Sidcup High Street, and 20 objections have been lodged.
Most of them came from people living in Chaplin House. The entrance to the tower block would sit directly beside the proposed venue.
Why Chaplin House residents oppose the Sidcup gaming centre
Residents do not want a 24-hour gaming centre next to their homes. They also point to a bus stop nearby that they say dozens of schoolchildren use every day. They say they recently paid £28,000 for a security gate at the block’s entrance because of anti-social behaviour outside, and they fear the venue would bring more of it.
One resident, Deanna Miller, compared the company’s sunshine logo to the baby-faced sun in the children’s programme Teletubbies. She said parents in the block would keep having to explain to their children why they could not go inside. Another resident, Lisa Williams, called the plan “outrageous”. She suggested that most gamblers drawn to such venues had “many complex mental/psychological problems”.
Sidcup councillor Andy Curtois said he had “lost the battle” against another Merkur Slots opening in nearby Welling. He argued that venues like this draw drug dealers because they never close. “We must protect Sidcup,” he said.
What Merkur Slots says
Merkur has answered the concerns with a 74-page document setting out its safer gambling policy and its approach to social responsibility as a business.
In it the company says staff will turn away anyone under 18. People suspected of being affected by drink or drugs may also be stopped from coming in.
Key questions
When will Bexley Council consider the Sidcup application?
Its Licensing Sub-Committee will consider the premises licence application on 24 September.
Where would the gaming centre be?
At number 83 on Sidcup High Street, beside the entrance to the Chaplin House tower block.
How many objections have been made?
Twenty, most of them from Chaplin House residents.
What has Merkur said about the concerns?
It has submitted a 74-page document on social responsibility and safer gambling. It says staff will refuse entry to anyone under 18.
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