Willesden Green Bank Site Approved for Adult Gaming Centre

_{The former Lloyds Bank on Walm Lane will become an adult gaming centre. (Image: Google Maps)}

Residents in the borough of Brent in London have voiced opposition and concerns over plans to convert a former Lloyds Bank in Willesden Green into an adult gaming centre.

Brent council approved the plans on Wednesday September 10th, amid local opposition relating to gambling-related harms.

From Bank to Bingo to Betting

Earlier this year, Brent Council approved a proposal by Star Commercial Property to turn the former Lloyds Bank at the corner of Walm Lane and High Road into a bingo hall.

Just two months later, the developer applied to widen the site’s use to an adult gaming centre. That request was approved on 10 September, despite more than 60 objections.

Residents argued that the change would fuel problem gambling, antisocial behaviour, and undermine the area’s appeal. One objector described the plan as “a clear detriment” to the community, pointing to existing venues nearby.

Another said: “We already have a Ladbrokes betting shop and casino, which is more than sufficient gaming facilities for this community. To suggest that this change will add viability and vitality to the Willesden Green shopping centre is wholly disingenuous and misleading.”

Residents and MPs Push Back

Brent East MP Dawn Butler joined local campaigners in opposing the development, warning of gambling’s social costs. She argued that replacing a community bank with another gambling site erodes the area’s character and puts vulnerable residents at risk.

“Nearly one person a day dies by suicide linked to gambling addiction; this is a public health crisis, and it’s time our planning laws reflect that and stop these gambling companies prying on communities that are often vulnerable and deprived,” Butler said.

She has tabled a parliamentary motion calling for reform of the 2005 Gambling Act, which currently requires councils to “aim to permit” new venues unless specific grounds for refusal exist.

Council Divided but Bound by Law

Under Brent’s Local Plan, adult gaming centres, payday loan shops, and pawnbrokers cannot exceed 3% of town centre frontages. With two existing gaming centres and two pawnbrokers, the new approval raises Willesden Green’s total to 2.54%, just below the cap.

Cllr Liz Dixon was the only member of the planning committee to vote against the proposal. “I feel there is harm by an establishment that is now an adult gaming centre and on that level I feel it fails to align with the local and national policies in trying to provide healthy streets,” she said.

Council officers stressed that public objections could not outweigh compliance with planning rules.

Watch the full council webcast discussing the planning application here: Planning Committee, Wednesday, 10th September 2025 at 6:00pm

Brent Leaders Demand Stronger Powers

Brent Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Mili Patel, criticised the outcome, arguing that councils are hamstrung by national law.

“On Wednesday, Brent added yet another adult gaming centre to the long list of gambling shops ruining our town centres, despite many objections to the planning application,” Patel said. “It should be easy for Brent’s planning committee to reject premises which are harmful to public health and where they are also opposed by residents. But it isn’t simple.”

She added that the company behind the new centre is registered in the Channel Islands, limiting the economic benefit to Brent while leaving behind “damage in their wake.”

Gambling Growth Raises Wider Concerns

Brent already has 102 gambling premises, including casinos, betting shops, and gaming centres, many within close distance of one another.

Critics argue that the rapid repurposing of empty high street buildings into gambling venues reflects a troubling trend across UK town centres. Empty banks, travel agents, and shops are increasingly converted into betting outlets, raising questions about long-term community health and economic diversity.

But supporters of the industry say that regulated gambling plays a significant role in the UK economy. According to the Gambling Commission, the regulated sector contributes billions in gross gambling yield each year, supports more than 90,000 jobs nationwide, and generates substantial tax revenue. Local councils also benefit from business rates and licensing fees from these premises.

Industry representatives warn that restricting licensed operators too heavily could unintentionally push players toward unregulated black-market sites, where there are no safeguards such as age checks, self-exclusion schemes, or safer gambling tools. In 2020, the Betting and Gaming Council highlighted that nearly 200,000 people in the UK were estimated to be using unlicensed online gambling sites, a figure regulators say could grow if access to regulated venues is curtailed.

Advocates for reform, including Brent Council and local MPs, continue to lobby for changes that would give local authorities stronger powers to refuse applications when there is evidence of harm. The debate now hinges on whether national policy can strike a balance between protecting communities and preserving the benefits of a regulated gambling market.

For players, this highlights the importance of understanding the risks of gambling and recognising how local planning decisions shape communities. Readers interested in UK gambling law changes can also explore our guide to UK casino regulation.