Petition for the reclassification of betting shops

As found on the Deptford Dame site:

Ultimately a change in the law is the key to giving local people and councils more say in what happens to their high streets. Without this, we will find ourselves fighting more and more such cases, with nothing but the vagaries and historical quirks of the planning system for help.

Please sign the petition if you agree. From the petition page:

As small shops shut in the downturn, bookies are opening in their place. And this story is being repeated across the UK.

But at the moment, local councils can’t control the number of betting shops in their community because they’re classified in the same way as banks, estate agents and restaurants.

We have a rare chance to change that. Mary Portas (also known as Queen of Shops) recently published a review of the high street and recommended giving local people new powers to limit the number of bookies in their communities. I’m campaigning for the Government to accept the recommendation.