Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 30 January 2017 were approved as a correct record.

Report of the Strategic Director, Communities and Environment

The Committee received the interim report which sets out the initial findings of the Communities and Place OSC in relation to a review of the impact of Gambling on the Borough.

As a result of the evidence gathering sessions the following issues were identified:

The number and distribution of licensed gambling premises in Gateshead

There are a relatively small number of premises licensed for gambling in Gateshead. There are no casinos, 3 bingo premises, 42 betting premises, 11 adult gaming centres and 1 family entertainment centre. The number of premises has remained largely stable since the Gambling Act 2005 came into force. They are however a prominent feature of the main shopping areas of the borough which is a common  theme across the country.

Other gambling in the borough

Certain numbers and categories of gaming machines are permitted in premises licensed for the sale of alcohol. There are also 82 registered small society lotteries in Gateshead.

It was recognised by the Committee that a huge amount of gambling goes on in the borough which is outside of the control of the Council as licensing authority. This includes the National Lottery, scratch cards and online gambling. The potential amount of money that goes out of the borough through this route is a matter of concern. The amount of promotion and advertising of gambling on television is also a matter of concern.

The problem with Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs)

The review highlighted the increase in the prevalence of FOBTs and identified that there are potentially 168 of these in Gateshead’s 42 licensed betting premises. It also highlighted the concerns from many different bodies around these machines – that it is possible to lose large amounts of money playing on them and the associations between these machines and problem gambling and gambling addiction.

The review examined the national debate around the limitations of the evidence available to establish casual links between FOBTs and problem gambling and addiction to gambling and highlighted the reluctance of Government to curtail the availability of these machines in the absence of clear correlations and associations.

The review also highlighted the wide range of initiatives, schemes, research and inquiries which are currently being carried out to further understand the concerns raised.

The lack of evidence about the scale of harm caused by problem gambling in Gateshead

The review examined the available data sources about problem and at-risk gambling and their relation to the borough if Gateshead. It also highlighted to members the known risk factors associated with problem and at-risk gambling and the kinds of harm they are more likely than other people to experience.

Members were advised however that while a wide range of local agenices, services and bodies were approached to provide evidence on the extent of gambling related harms in Gateshead there was simply no available. It is apparent that there does not currently exist a mechanism to record and measure problems caused by gambling in our local community, and none were able  ...  view the full minutes text for item CPL23

Report of the Strategic Director, Communities and Environment

The Committee received the Annual Progress Report on the implementation of the duties and responsibilities of Gateshead Council as lead local flood authority.

The key implications for local authorities are:

·         Preparing, maintain and publishing a local Flood Risk Management (FRM) strategy to link to the Environment Agency’s (EA) national and local strategies;

·         Preparing, maintaining and publishing a register of third party FRM infrastructure assets:

·         Investigating reported flooding incidents and publishing a register of investigations;

·         Statutory consultee to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) for sustainable drainage systems (SuDS);

·         Consenting of ordinary watercourse works (diverting, culverting, restricting flow etc);

·         Cooperation with and oversight of other FRM bodies

Report of the Strategic Director, Communities and Environment

The Committee received the Gateshead Local Plan Annual Monitoring Report 2015/16. Local Planning Authorities are required to publish information annually on the progress of Local Plan preparation, implementation of the existing policies in the adopted development plan, and performance in terms of housing provision. The Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) fulfils these requirements, and also provides a valuable mechanism for collating and presentation information on development activity, which can inform the preparation of the emerging policies of Gateshead’s Local Plan.

Gateshead’s 2015/16 AMR includes a number of land-use and socio-economic indicators to present an overview of development activity in the Borough over the reporting year. Gateshead Council adopted Planning for the Future Core Strategy and Urban Core Plan for Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne (CSUCP) on 26 March 2015. This AMR is therefore the first to monitor the implementation of policies contained in the CSUSP, and reflects the indicators contained within the monitoring framework within the CSUCP.

In addition to reporting on the progress of Local Plan preparation, the AMR is structured around the key topic areas of: Economic Prosperity, Homes, Transport and Accessibility, People and Place, and Minerals and Waste.

Key findings include:

·         Around 10,600 sqm of employment floor space was completed in 2015/16. This is a significant increase compared to the quantity of completed floor space in 2014/15, and represents a level of development that more closely reflects the average rate of delivery over the past five years.

·         There were 415 gross, and 251 net additional dwellings completed in the Borough.

·         82% of new-build residential completions were on previously developed land

·         There were 98 affordable housing completions in the reporting year

·         Around 16% of units in Gateshead’s town and district centres were vacant in 2015/16. This is a slight increase compared to the previous year.

·         The amount of municipal waste arising in Gateshead in 2015/16 increased by around 1,100 tonnes, or around 1% compared to the previous year.

RESOLVED – that the information be noted.