A GAMING centre in Reading town centre wants permission to open 24 hours day.
Based in West Street, The Golden Touch has a mixture of fruit machines and a casino game, and is currently able to open from 9am through to 10pm dailys.
In September 2016, Reading Borough Council approved plans for the premises to be converted from a hair and beauty salon to an adult gaming centre on the condition it could only operate during these hours.
Its owners want to change this.
A previous attempt to allow Golden Touch to open 24 hours a day was refused in May 2017, and the gaming centre’s agent withdrew another bid in April the following year.
Now it has been ressurected.
The plan was refused in 2017, over fears it would cause unacceptable noise and disturbance to the residential amenities of the nearby area.
In a report for the withdrawn application in 2018, a council planning officer wrote: “There is no reason to believe that the situation has changed since the condition was applied, therefore no justification to remove the condition.
“There are a number of residential properties on West Street situated above the shops, and these residents are likely to be disturbed by noise from people coming and going from the premises, and possible congregation of people outside, including smoking, if this occurs late at night.”
In its new applictaion, Golden Touch owners Southern City Leisure Ltd, say no neighbours or residents have complained about either the activity inside or any disturbance.
A planning agent pointed out neighbouring businesses have made no complaints, and the Bay’s Peri Peri takeaway, a few doors down, is allowed to open until 4am.
The planning agent also says there is a precedent for 24-hour gambling in the area, citing the nearby Admiral Adult Gaming Centre and the Little Vegas games centre, both in Friar Street.
Golden Touch would have its own conditions imposed, which state that a maximum of 12 customers will be allowed between midnight and 6am, and that a minimum of two staff members will be working during that time.
Also, they propose closing the front door between midnight and 6am, with customers only being allowed in by a staff member, who would greet each customer to ensure quiet entrance and exit.
The application can be search by searching for reference 220128 in Reading Borough Council’s website: http://planning.reading.gov.uk/fastweb_PL/welcome.asp
