Operator News
UK – Merkur Slots’ bid for new Southend venue rejected by government inspector
By Phil - 22 March 2023
Merkur Slots has lost out on its attempts to bring a 24/7 slot hall to the site of a former bank in Southend, in the south of England, with the bid being rejected at appeal by the government.
With over 200 slot halls in the UK, Merkur Slots, was refused planning permission for the new location in February 2022 seeing it to turn to the government planning inspector to overrule the decision
The inspector said: “The immediate proximity of residential properties to the proposed AGC within the same building, and which share floor, ceiling, party walls with the appeal unit has the potential to create a sensitive relationship.”
“This would result in occupiers experiencing unacceptable levels of noise and disturbance to the detriment of their existing living conditions. These effects would be acute as they would be experienced on effectively a permanent 24-hour basis and would therefore cause significant harm to the living conditions of those residents.
“Whilst the proposal would bring economic benefits through the re-use of the vacant unit and the employment of staff members, these benefits would be significantly outweighed by the harm to neighbours’ living conditions.”
