Forum topic: Merkur Slots campaigners call demonstration for Friday 25th June

STAMP OUT GAMBLING - DON'T BET ON OUR FUTURE

Children, parents and residents in Palmers Green resort to stamping their feet to demonstrate against Merkur Slots invading their high streets - in Palmers Green and across the UK.

For local families, residents and businesses who are committed to the regeneration of their declining high street, the decision to cancel a planned hearing to review Merkur’s license comes as a blow.

Enfield Council surrendered to the gambling giant’s notice of legal proceedings and at the very last minute rejected the application for review that had been previously accepted after over 4300 people signed a petition.

It’s a ‘David against Goliath’ kind of battle that local residents have been fighting hard to safeguard their communities from all the dangers associated with gambling: crime, addictions, the exposure of children to what is NOT a game!

We are aware that the Gambling Act 2005 is one of the stumbling blocks, however we argue that our democratic right to object to the license in the first place has been trampled. When the review was reopened we sent hundreds of valid oppositions and we now demand that these are counted in, and that we are heard!

The facts:

• On 30 November 2020 Enfield Council received an application from Merkur for a premises licence for gambling at 292/292A Green Lanes.
• The consultation runs until 27 December 2020 whilst in full lockdown. We were all in a ‘stay at home’ order due to the pandemic, and with a reduced footfall on the highstreet, and no communication from the Enfield Council we were in the dark of this new development.
• On January 4 2021The licensing authority ( Enfield Council) was legally obliged to grant the licence because their application met the legal requirements of the Gambling Act 2005.
• February 2021Our petition to say NO to Merkur Slots gathered over 4300 signatures (now over 4500) which forced the council to take notice and reopen the consultation process.
• We prepared a case, campaigned, gained crime data from the police under the Freedom of Information Act and our local MP Bambos Charalambous presented the situation in Parliament.
• on 14 April 2021, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, Leader of Enfield Council, submitted an application for a review of the gambling premises licence with support from the local resident-led campaign group and Palmers Green ward councillors. This was accepted.
• We successfully mobilised the local community and 239 representationswere  submitted for the review  of which 96 met the criteria  to be deemed acceptable· These came from faith leaders, our local MP/councillors our London assemble rep, school leaders, resident societies, mental health projects  a large number of Local residents as well as business owners and traders
• Friday 11 June 2021Just a few days before the review hearing, Merkur Slots issued Enfield Council with notice of legal proceedings and challenged the review itself.
• Tuesday 15 June 2021Upon this challenge from Merkur Slots, the Council Monitoring Officer rejected the application for review that had been previously accepted and the licensing sub-committee hearing that would have taken place on 16 June 2021 was cancelled. At 18:10 residents receive the cancellation email.
• Wednesday 16 June - 10am that’s when the hearing was scheduled. And that’s when instead it all came at an abrupt end and we were left powerless to face the cancellation of the meeting.
• Similar Merkur Slots gambling arcades have been approved in Enfield Town and Southbury and are currently operating in Edmonton, Barnet and dozens of other deprived locations across the uk
• Friday 25 JUNE - 15:30 The community will stamp their feet demonstrating along Palmers Green high street

 Contacts: Giorgia Scaturro, , 07833970798