PRESSURE ON BETTING SHOPS
Find Your Voice Pressure Group(FYVPG) is holding a march on Saturday, 27th, November , 2010 from 12-4pm.The march leaves Every Bodies Music(261 Tottenham High) Road towards Bruce Castle- Bruce Grove then proceeds to Lordship Lane then on to Tottenham High Road, towards High Cross culminating at Every Bodies.
This march comes at back of FYVPG representations to Haringey Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee which met on 10th November 2010 to pool arguments and objections about the effects of gambling in poor communities. The march seeks to galvanize mounting support in Tottenham and surrounding areas to highlight the issue about the proliferation of betting shops in Haringey .The march also supports Haringey Council in its capacity to stymied the tide of betting shops pouring into economical deprive areas. Haringey Council turned down Paddy Power’s application in July 2010 to set up a betting shop in Every Bodies Music’s place. Paddy Power appealed against Haringey’s Council decision with the Planning Inspectorate. The result of that appeal is due by 15th December 2010. The campaign will continue collect signatures to add to the hundreds already collected which are oppose to the proliferation of betting shops.
There will be a number of speakers at the march: MP for Tottenham David Lammy ,Jenny Sutton trade unionist –UCU , Frank Murray- trade unionist- RMT, Peter Lamor –Green Lanes Group , Clive Carter – campaigner against gambling, Douglas Williams –Chairman, Find Your Voice Pressure Group(FYVPG ),Hesket Beniot –Lecturer and community leader.
This march is also part of a wider campaign to address the growing concerns of Haringey’s residents for diversity of business in the area. Although the campaign will focus on the impact of the Planning Inspectorate decision ; the issue of proliferation will dominate and shape the campaign. Haringey already have over seventy betting shops and needs diversity in business.
Spokes person for FYVPG Douglas Williams stated: ‘It is very important we continue build a strong partnership with other organisations, community groups and the local council to lobby central government to address the issue of proliferation .There are growing concerns about the impact of so many betting shops clustered in poor communities. This march wants to give more focus to having a boarder range of businesses ’
In Deptford, we are currently fighting the ninth betting shop. However, Betfred have bought an ex-bank and are simply applying for a Betting Licence. They will no doubt get it since local authority Lewisham puts up no resistance.
If anyone knows Douglas Williams and/or FYVPG, (or has contact details for them) please can they ask them to get in touch with us at: crosswhatfields@gmail.com