Memorandum from the Office of the Deputy
Prime Minister (DGB 121)
1. This memorandum sets out the Government's
planning policy for casinos.
2. The Joint Statement issued by Lord McIntosh
(DCMS) and Keith Hill, Minister for Housing and Planning (ODPM)
in August 2003. Following consultation on the joint statement,
the Government is still considering the types of casino to which
regional planning controls should apply.
THE GOVERNMENT'S
APPROACH
3. The statement explains that, subject
to the regulatory proposals for licensing, the Government wishes
to see leisure developments of regional significance, such as
the largest casinos, particularly resort casinos, which include
hotels, restaurants, entertainment and other facilities, which
the Government proposes should be brought forward through a plan-led
approach. The Government sees this operating through the Regional
Planning Body identifying suitable broad locations through the
Regional Spatial Strategy and then the local planning authority
identifying appropriate sites in their local development plan
consistent with regional policies.
4. The Government considers that such developments
are likely to provide a major contribution to regeneration, tourism
and economic development, and, therefore, expects Regional Planning
Bodies, where they deem it appropriate, to identify suitable locations
in their region that would optimise their contribution to these
aims.
5. Proposals for casino developments which
are not of regional significance should preferably be brought
forward through local development plans in order to capture the
benefits for the local evening economy by locating them in locations,
such as town centres, consistent with Government planning policy
on the location of development (PPG13: Transport) and for town
centres (PPG6: Town Centres and Retail Developments, which will
replaced by PPS6: Planning for Town Centres later this year).
Any proposal coming forward outside a plan-led approach should
likewise have regard to these policies. The First Secretary of
State has the power to call-in applications if he considers them
to be of more than local importance, contentious, raising new
issues or contrary to national policy.
TIMESCALE
6. The current Planning and Compulsory Purchase
Bill will, subject to the agreement of Parliament, come into force
this Spring, which will formally enable Regional Planning Bodies
to prepare Regional Spatial Strategies (RSSs). As at commencement,
existing Regional Planning Guidance will become RSSs and will
be revised. Each region is at different stage in the cycle of
revising their current guidance, so the production of an RSS for
each region will be spread over the next two to three years The
likelihood is that it will take three years for each region to
have a revised RSS in place.
7. Under the Bill, the RSS will be part
of the development plan, which means that local plans will need
to be in general conformity with the RSS. This means that, whilst
local plans can be prepared in parallel with the RSS, only those
local planning authorities identified as appropriate locations
for regional-scale facilities will be able to allocate sites for
such developments. This means that such plans are likely to have
completed their process to adoption within the next three to four
years.
SUMMARY
8. The Government's planning policy relates
solely to regional-scale facilities, such as casino resorts, which
it considers Regional Planning Bodies should guide to locations
which will deliver regeneration, tourism and economic development
benefits. The Government envisages that, with those exceptions,
the market will determine the number, size and character of casinos,
subject to the normal planning policies.
February 2004
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