Andy Burnham has unveiled plans to grant local councils sweeping powers to block new betting shops, adult gaming centres and vape outlets from opening on British high streets, signalling a major shift in how local authorities regulate so-called clustering of gambling and e-cigarette retailers.
Under the proposals, the 'aim to permit' rule in the Gambling Act 2005 will be scrapped, ending the presumption that licensing authorities must approve new gambling venues. Vape shops will be brought under planning permission rules, and formal definitions of what constitutes a vape shop will be tightened. A fast-tracked six-week consultation on the measures could see them in force by early 2027. Police will also gain the ability to shut non-compliant businesses for up to a year, doubling the current maximum closure order.
The push comes as research found that the most deprived communities have three times as many vape shops as affluent areas, while Britain has lost nearly 1,800 pubs since 2016 as vape and tobacco retailers proliferated.