Chris Best
Labour Councillor for Sydenham
News & Events
Latest on the Gambling License for 53 Sydenham Road
Permission granted for 9am to midnight - appeal on planning permission
I am writing to support the Council’s refusal of planning permission for an Adult Gaming Centre and make the following points.
1. Impact on Sydenham high street
As a Sydenham Councillor, who lives in the ward and regularly shops in the high street, I have been contacted by many local residents and traders who are very concerned that planning permission could be given for an Adult Gaming Centre on a predominantly retail high street with residents, including families, living in the flats above. 53 Sydenham Road lies in the heart of Sydenham high street, a district town centre, and 92 residents wrote to Lewisham Council to object to the planning application and 79 residents wrote in to Lewisham Council to object to the application for a 24/7 premises for gambling, The refusal to grant planning permission was under delegated authority and the officers provided a comprehensive report including the reasons -
• The proposed change of use from a ground floor commercial unit (Use Class E) to Adult Gaming Centre (Use Class Sui Generis) would result in an over concentration of gambling establishments in the shopping parade which would have a detrimental impact on the vitality and viability of the primary shopping frontage of Sydenham District Centre and in an area that has no night time economy, being contrary to Policies SD6 and E9 of the London Plan (2021), Policy 6 of the Lewisham Core Strategy (June 2011) and DM Policy 14 of the Lewisham's Development Management Local Plan (November 2014).
• The shopfront, by reason of its unsympathetic design and materials and lack of traditional shopfront features, does not relate sensitively to the historic architecture of the host building and forms an incongruous and visually intrusive addition to the surrounding area thereby failing to preserve the character and appearance of the Sydenham Thorpes Conservation Area contrary to Section 72 of the of the Planning Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (as amended), Chapter 16 of the NPPF (2023), Policies HC1 and D3 of the London Plan (2021), Policies 15 and 16 of
the Lewisham Core Strategy (June 2011), Policies 19, 30, 31 and 36 of the Lewisham Development Management Local Plan (November 2014) and the Council's Shopfront Design Guide SPD (2019).
The Licensing Committee held a hearing on 14 May 2024 to consider the application and I gave a presentation along with the Chair of the Sydenham Society and a local resident. Following our objections, the discussion by the Committee it was agreed to grant a License from 9am to midnight – closing from midnight until 9am. In the decision notice -
• The Committee was concerned by the representations raised by local residents in connection with the third licensing objective, persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling. The Committee referred to its own Statement of Licensing Policy to consider the definition of “vulnerable person”, paragraph 6.2, and accepted the representations did relate to categories of people who could properly be identified as vulnerable persons in the local community.
• A range of representations were made concerning the impact the granting of the application for 24 hours would have particularly on vulnerable people in the community. The Committee remained concerned that the Premises would present a risk to vulnerable people in the community and in particular after midnight when other licensed premises in the area would be closed. The Committee heard evidence and read in the hearing pack that the Premises would offer customers coffee and tea when visiting and again operating 24 hours a day would make the Premises attractive to vulnerable customers where all other licensed, and non-licensed, business would be closed for business from midnight, probably earlier than midnight.
In my objection I made that the point that I am very concerned with losing retail outlets in the core shopping area and we have more non-retail outlets (including three betting shops) within the core shopping area, listed below:
- Coop Funeralcare, 59 Sydenham Road
- NatWest Bank, 61 Sydenham Road
- Ladbrokes, 85 Sydenham Road
- Paddy Power, 89 Sydenham Road
- William Hill, 93 Sydenham Road
- Monioro Less Solicitors, 54 Sydenham Road
We also have nine estate agents in the high street – Property World at 4 Sydenham Road, Barnard Marcus at 13 Sydenham Road, Pedder at 14 Sydenham Road, Omega at 20 Sydenham Road, CKB at 60 Sydenham Road, Mann at 63 Sydenham Road and at Cobbs Corner there is Robinson Jackson at 256 Kirkdale, Acorn at 278 – 280 Kirkdale and Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward 313 – 315 Kirkdale.
I believe we have sufficient premises for gambling in the high street with three betting shops – Ladbrokes, Paddy Power and William Hill – who also have gaming machines within the premises. Plus, there is already an opportunity to play bingo at Apple Bingo, 291 Kirkdale which is open 7 days a week – Monday to Saturday 11am – 11pm and 5pm – 11pm on Sunday.
There is an evening economy in the high street with two restaurants – Golden City at 58 Sydenham Road and Gurkha's at 67 Sydenham Road and both close at 11pm and whilst there are late night alcohol licences for the convenience stores many close early as there is not the footfall to trade through the night. Residents would welcome more restaurants and other retail premises in the high street and the loss of 53 Sydenham Road would limit this opportunity.
2. Impact on the Thorpes Conservation Area
I understood that when Santander closed there was time left on the lease. The shop front has deteriorated but there has been no active marketing that I have been aware of. The acquired board is a recent addition to the shop front and looking at the planning application there is no evidence of what attempts have been made to market the shop at 53 Sydenham Road. I can say that SEE3 have not been contacted as we have local craft people who would have welcomed the use of a pop-up shop. The marketing report appears to be brochure with a description of the size of the premises, the annual rent, rateable value etc plus a list of other local shops. We try to encourage traders to respect the heritage of our local area and whilst the shop fronts are attractive there is a need to protect the remaining elements of our Victorian streetscape. There are finials and other ornamentation that we are working to try to restore to the former glory. I am also Chair of SEE3 – www.SEE3.co.uk – and work with the Sydenham traders group, our local residents and The Sydenham Society to promote a vibrant high street and bring footfall to our range of retail businesses in the core of the high street. We have offered training sessions to our independent shopkeepers to ensure repeat customers who shop local to help the high street be part of Sydenham’s community friendly shopping centre. The granting of planning permission for an Adult Gaming Centre will be highly detrimental to our vibrant shopping centre trading during the day and evening. Working together we have ensured there are very few empty retail outlets in the high street. For many years, we have been working on initiatives with traders to bring footfall and improve the offer in Sydenham Town Centre as well as Forest Hill and Kirkdale. This includes events at the Sydenham Centre at 44 Sydenham Road and includes the Easter Bonnet workshop and parade, Halloween and the Christmas Tree lighting. We have a great addition at Ignition Brewery which trades on Thursday 5-9pm, Friday 5-9pm and Saturday 2-9pm and provides employment and training for people with learning disabilities to brew and serve great beer as well as a range of activities in the evening including games and jazz nights. Councils have a range of planning powers to protect a local amenity if there are localised issues. This part of Sydenham Road is governed by the Thorpes Conservation Area, where the residential streets benefit from an Article 4 Direction.
3. The impact on the socio-economic makeup of the area
The cost-of-living crisis has affected the high street given the mix of housing in the vicinity of 53 Sydenham Road. Sydenham Road is mainly flats above the shops that are rented to the local community at rents that are higher than the Local Housing Allowance adding to the problems of the those on lower incomes finding somewhere to rent. There are areas of deprivation including the three large housing estates (Hazel Grove off Sydenham Road, Sheenewood and Hillcrest off Westwood Hill) managed by Lewisham Council. Rehoboth Community Outreach operate from the Ray Champion Room, 1-18 Allwood Close on the Hazel Grove estate and offer free hot meals on Mondays and Fridays with a food bank on Wednesdays and Thursdays. They can arrange deliveries for over 60s and families who would struggle to attend. Kelvin Grove Children’s Centre at Kelvin Grove School in Kirkdale offers a community supermarket on Thursdays where members obtain low cost, healthy groceries for £4.00 a week. The shop is run by residents, for residents. Poverty is such that there are two pawnbrokers in the high street – H&T Pawnbrokers, 37 Sydenham Road and Captains of London, 79 Sydenham Road. Sydenham high street is a problem area with street drinkers who act as a magnet for anti-social behaviour. This has led to an ASBO on one of the offenders but residents still have concerns with crime and disorder. There are regular instances of when the police have been called for assistance in the high street. There is a prevalence of street drinking in the area, which may increase the risk of vulnerable persons using the premises. Street drinkers and rough sleepers congregate on Queensthorpe Square which is an open space next to the Co-op Funeral Parlour at 59 Sydenham Road. There is the problem of street begging as well as a high pilfering rate from shops in the high street – I understand from the police that this is estimated at 15% with Boots next door at 55 Sydenham Road and Tesco opposite at 42 Sydenham Road employing security guards. There is a history of youth crime and gang problems in the high street and surrounding areas. Levi Ernest-Morrison, aged 17, was knifed to death on Sydenham Road running from the Hazel Grove estate in 2021, Nathan Murray, aged 18, was stabbed and died on Sydenham Road on the corner with Girton Road in 2015, James Hunter was stabbed in the heart after the 18-year-old tried to protect his friend on Wells Park Road in 2014 and Nick Pearton, aged 16, was stabbed to death in May 2010 running from Home Park to Sydenham Road. There are also drug related issues linked with addition and residents are concerned another gambling centre would add to the problems in the area. The Sydenham Neighbourhood Policing team patrol the high street on a regular basis but not 24/7 because of the shift pattern. When the team are not on duty there is limited support for anti-social behaviour, violence and public disorder. Residents are aware of all kinds of anti social behaviour that take place along the high street including from a resident who has mental health problems and lives in supported accommodation in Trewsbury Road. Granting planning permission for an Adult Gaming Centre will only add to the issues that the limited police resource have to manage in Sydenham’s high street. When people who are already in difficult financial circumstances lose money, which is inevitable, they can become aggressive to others inside and outside the shop, and at times violent towards the machines that will be in the shop premises. This adds to the need to keep gambling spaces to a minimum in places where children and other vulnerable people have easy access, like Sydenham town centre. All this is very anti-social leading to disorder and raising the risk and probability of criminal behaviour, in addition to such a damaging environment for children to grow up in. There have been incidents of armed robbery – notably at 66 Sydenham Road which is opposite this stretch of the retail parade in question (the numbers on each side of the high street are not in parallel). There are several bollards on the forecourt outside Tesco at 42 Sydenham Road, opposite 53 Sydenham Road, to prevent the store being ram-raided. This is not the type of high street local residents want for Sydenham and they regularly ask questions as to the effectiveness of the four CCTV cameras we have positioned on the corners of Mayow and Queensthorpe Road as well as facing opposite Silverdale. Whilst the cameras are monitored they cannot always pick up a good image in the centre of the shopping parades. I have concerns with the clustering of the betting shops – there are three in the next parade at 85, 89 and 93 Sydenham Road and the need to increase the retail mix in the high street. I want Sydenham to flourish with a diverse range of retailers, making it more attractive as a shopping destination and leisure area.
I am writing to formally object to the appeal for the refusal to grant planning permission for 53 Sydenham Road.