Gambling Policy

Licensing authorities are required by the Gambling Act 2005 to publish a statement of the principles which they propose to apply when exercising their functions. This statement must be published at least every three years. The statement must also be reviewed from "time to time" and any amended parts re-consulted upon. The statement must be then re-published.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council as Licensing Authority [this licensing authority] published its first Statement (generally referred to as the Council's Gambling Policy) in December 2006 following statutory consultation. The Gambling Policy has been reviewed every three years since.

Consultation process on the Gambling Policy

In preparing this version of the Statement, this licensing authority has consulted widely upon this statement before finalising and publishing. The Gambling Act 2005 requires that the following parties are consulted by Licensing Authorities:

• the Chief Officer of Police
• one or more persons who appear to the authority to represent the interests of persons carrying on gambling businesses in the authority's area
• one or more persons who appear to the authority to represent the interests of persons who are likely to be affected by the exercise of the authority's functions under the Gambling Act 2005

This policy has been drafted after consultation with the following organisations and individuals:

• Gambling Commission
• Norfolk Constabulary
• responsible authorities
• existing Licence holders (casinos, bingo premises, betting premises, Adult Gaming Centres, Family Entertainment Centres, permit holders, Great Yarmouth Racecourse, Great Yarmouth Stadium)
• Greater Yarmouth Tourist Authority
• BACTA
• D. P. Leisure
• Gamblers Anonymous
• residents associations
• various solicitors
• Bingo Association
• Citizens Advice Bureau (Norfolk)
• faith groups
• Gamcare
• Norfolk Chamber of Commerce & Industry
• British Beer and Pub Association
• Racecourse Association Ltd

Additionally, it was available for the general public through consultation on the council's web site.

Our consultation took place between 5 August 2024 and 4 October 2024 following the principles in the HM Government Cabinet Office guidance (published 2016).

The full list of comments made and the consideration by this licensing authority of those comments is available by request to:

• the Licensing Manager, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Licensing Team, Town Hall, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2QF
• via the Council's website

The Licensing Authority will also consult the above and any other relevant persons as may be appropriate for any subsequent revision of the statement.

Should you have any comments as regards this policy statement please send them via e-mail or letter to the following contact:

• Name: Licensing Manager
• Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Licensing Team, Town Hall, Great Yarmouth, NR30 2QF
• [email protected]

It should be noted that this policy statement will not override the right of any person to make an application, make representations about an application, or apply for a review of a licence, as each will be considered on its own merits and according to the statutory requirements of the Gambling Act 2005.

Local area profile

A detailed local area profile has been prepared based on local knowledge and taking into account a wide range of factors, data and information held by the licensing authority and its partners. It is anticipated that the local area profile will give operators a better awareness of the local area and the risks, which includes both potential and actual risks. The local area profile document can be accessed via the council's website.

In summary the area is as follows:

The Borough of Great Yarmouth is a diverse coastal area, focused around two urban centres - Great Yarmouth and Gorleston - and surrounded by a rural hinterland of small villages on the edge of the Norfolk Broads. The Council area has a population of 99,370 (ONS 2019) and is growing with a prediction to reach 102,531 by 2041. 51% of local residents are female and 49% are male. The proportion of people aged over 65 is relatively high and is growing.

96.9% of the borough's population identify as ethnically white. This is in line with the rest of Norfolk but higher than the national average. By contrast, two wards covering the town centre - Nelson, Central and Northgate - have 18% (or 3,081) of people that do not identify as white British. This reflects national trends, with greater ethnic diversity in urban centres than rural locations.

The borough has over 3000 active businesses (ONS 2018) and two Enterprise Zones. The Enterprise Zones were created in 2012 to encourage offshore energy, port and logistics activity in both South Denes and Beacon Park. The Beacon Park Enterprise Zone is one of the most successful in the country. Traditional tourism remains a key element of the local economy. The tourism sector includes employment in accommodation and food services, arts and entertainment.

The Council area is a mixture of urban and rural areas. The urban areas are the towns of Great Yarmouth and Gorleston on sea and the large parishes of Bradwell and Caister on sea. The rural area consists of the remaining 19 parishes. These areas are shown in the map attached at appendix 1.