Operator News
UK – Aspers to move on Southampton’s large licence following GGV court defeat
By Phil - 13 February 2017
Aspers will now move forward with its £450m redevelopment plans for Royal Pier in Southampton which will include a large casino licence offering 30 gaming tables and 150 Category B1 gaming machines.
The award to Aspers had been challenged by rival bidder Global Gaming Ventures (GGV), who had presented an alternative blueprint to build a casino at Hammerson shopping development in Watermark West Quay.
The operator, who has won similar tenders in Leeds and Bath, took Southampton Council to court following its decision to award the licence to Aspers. It argued that work at Watermark Westquay was already underway whilst the Royal Pier project had yet to gain planning permission.
GGV claimed that the evaluation of benefits should have been mathematical, since the words “Gross Value Added” had been used in the evaluation criteria. It also argued that the licensing authority should have considered whether an alternative tenant could be found to step into Aspers’ shoes to provide equivalent impetus.
However, Justice Jeremy Baker said GGV’s claims had ‘no merit,’ and refused permission to judicially review the decision. He said the council had stated from the beginning of the tender that Royal Pier was the best place for the licence.
“Although I accept that GVA is usually expressed as a monetary value, I consider that, in the context of the broad evaluation exercise which it was required to carry out, the Advisory Panel was entitled to take the view that it was not required to make a mathematical calculation of the GVA of each of the applications.” he said. “There is no evidence that such a fundamental amendment, as suggested by the claimant, would be countenanced, and that the wider development would go ahead as originally envisaged without the prior construction of the casino development.”
A council spokesman added: “The High Court has dismissed the claim made against Southampton City Council by Global Gaming Ventures in respect of the award of the large casino licence to Aspers last year. Costs to be paid by GGV have been agreed and there is no cost to the residents of Southampton.”
Richard Noble, Chief Operating Officer of Aspers, added: “We are very proud to have delivered two operational large licence casinos in the UK and are very excited to now have the opportunity to bring a high quality Aspers casino to Southampton.”
Royston Smith, Tory MP for Southampton Itchen, added: “The proposed casino is the financial driver to get the waterfront redeveloped. Without it the project would be a non-starter so this is absolutely the best decision for Southampton.”
The casino will create 180 new jobs with tax set at two per cent of gross gaming revenue. Aspers will follow up its initial £100,000 payment for the licence with a further £150,000 on opening with another £50,000 a year towards funding problem gambling programs.
The development will also include 730 apartments, restaurants, up to 50 shops and a 250-bed hotel.
