Plans to turn a St Annes boutique store into a betting shop have been revealed
Plans to turn a boutique store in St Annes into a betting shop have been submitted to Fylde Coast.
Last week, an application was submitted for a “change of use of ground floor premises from retail shop (use class e (a)) to adult gaming centre (use class sui generis)” at 15-17 Orchard Road in Lytham St Annes (postcode FY8 1RY).
The 68 square metre site was previously a boutique clothes and furniture store called Boutique 84 which closed its doors in November 2024, although it does still have a Cleveleys branch.
The application form confirms that the change of use to an “Adult Game Centre” will include “no structural changes to the existing site, interior or exterior”.
Plan drawings show that the two halves of the building will be fully lined by adult gaming machines, with central islands in the middle too, whilst CCTV cameras will be placed in the corners of the premises, with a PTZ camera in the middle.
The machines will be a mix of 20 per cent B3 machines (minimum stake £2, maximum stake £500) and 80% Cat C machines (min stake £1, max stake £100).
The betting shop “will not operate in anti-social hours” says the applicant, with the opening hours being b 9 am to 8 pm Sunday to Thursday and 9 am to 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
In the Local Area Profile, submitted with the application, it is noted that St Annes has three betting locations already - William Hill, Betfred and St Annes Pier- and that there are three Churches in the town centre, with one school nearby but “these are not in close proximity to the AGC so there is no big threat of risk or harm gambling related.“
Regarding the risks from gamling related harm, the applicant also wrote: “There are no recent public reports that indicate St Annes is an area of high risk from gamblingrelated harm, however 'Reel Power Ltd' will continue to provide it's staff with E-training courses toequip them with the knowledge to identify and deal with any individuals that are vulnerable and atrisk to gambling related issues. 'Reel Power Ltd' will also operate a self exclusion scheme using thenational multi-operator IHL software that is accessed via a tablet, all staff with be trained on usingthis to identify any excluded individuals and record incidents. We are also happy to help with localcharities and support centres to identify and help those in need.
The application involves no changes to car park spaces.
You can read the full planning application on the Fylde Council website here.