Residents object to third bookies plan in Newtown street
A petition has been launched against plans to open a third betting shop on a single street.
William Hill hopes to open in Broad Street, Newtown, creating six jobs. The street is already home to branches of Coral and Betfred.
Campaign group Newtown Now has hit out at the planned opening. Its leader, Philip Glynn, has now launched a petition against the shop and urged people to get in touch to gauge the strength of feeling.
He said: "I have been in discussion with William Powell, the Mid & West Wales AM and he suggested I launch a petition in the town to see how many more people are against it.
"We don't need another bookmaker in Newtown, we have two across the road from each other as it is. But my main objection is that they don't need to apply for special planning permission as they would only need to if it was a change of use from residential to business for example.
"This means they can just open up as they want and there is nothing we can do about it.
"There is a lot of talk about FOBTs – the fixed odds betting terminals which people play roulette on and they can be dangerous with people putting hundreds of pounds into them in one sitting. We just don't need more of this in Newtown.
"I keep on meeting those who are very opposed to this shop opening, so now is their chance to give their support to those who are so much against this new shop. We already have Coral and Betfred, that surely is enough for a small town like this."
Mr Glynn said he wants anybody who shares his concerns to contact him via text message on 07812981619, e-mail: bashfulbrummie@sky.com or write to him at: 50 Commercial Street, Newtown, Powys, SY16 2BW.
He has also launched a page on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/groups/436589176486813/
Russell George, Montgomeryshire AM and county councillor for Newtown, said he would prefer to have a shop occupied than empty, but said he did not see the benefit of another bookmakers in the town.
He said: "It's normally better to have a shop, rather than an empty premises, but I think having three betting shops in Newtown is only going to give a wrong message to the type of shops we want to persuade to Newtown."
Joe Crilly, a spokesman for William Hill , said: "We have been granted a licence to open our shop on Broad Street in Newtown.
"The shop is the result of a significant amount of market research and it will create at least six new jobs when opened."
