Norbury residents are celebrating a major victory after Croydon Council rejected controversial plans for a 24-hour adult gaming centre (AGC), which would have more than doubled the number of slot machine terminals in their area. The council's Licensing Sub-Committee refused Merkur Slots' application for a gaming centre on London Road on July 2, citing concerns about harm to vulnerable residents.
Community Campaign Success
Deborah Bestwick, chair of local group Love Norbury, said she was "so proud of our community" after the decision. Residents had staged a protest outside the former NatWest bank, the proposed site, on June 20. The council alleged the company failed to demonstrate adequate safeguards to protect children and vulnerable residents from harm, but the battle is not over, with a planning appeal over the site's change of use still to be decided.
At the meeting, councillors said the proposed AGC would be located in a "highly sensitive" area, citing its proximity to a three-storey supported housing block on Semley Road and Resistance Kitchen, a community food bank where around half of those supported are homeless and could be vulnerable to gambling-related harm according to campaigners.
Merkur's Defenses and Regulatory Record
Defending the application, Merkur argued the 24-hour venue would create local jobs and bring investment to the vacant former NatWest bank branch on Norbury High Street. The company, which already operates AGCs in Croydon and Sutton, proposed measures including restricting window advertising on the Semley Road side and permanently excluding people with known gambling problems. However, councillors felt the safeguards were not enough.
They also raised concerns about Merkur's regulatory record, citing a £95,450 Gambling Commission fine in 2025 after staff failed to intervene before a 64-year-old cancer patient suffered significant financial harm. They also considered a 2025 BBC investigation in Portsmouth, in which an undercover reporter repeatedly bypassed self-exclusion measures at gambling venues, including one operated by Merkur.
Residents' Perspective
Reflecting on the decision, Deborah told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) she was "so proud of our community." She believes the campaign's success was particularly significant given the statutory challenges of opposing a gambling licence application. "We know that the Gambling Act 2005 is hugely in favour of the applicant, and it is hard to get a gambling licence refused," she said. "In the end, we are a collection of residents and citizens – we had no expert assistance, no lawyers, no consultants, no resources. But we know our area in detail and we know our communities, and ultimately this decision was based on the demonstrated and evidenced need to protect the more vulnerable residents."
Deborah said the outcome reflected the work of many local groups and residents who joined forces to oppose the plans. They showed the strength of local opposition at a protest outside the former NatWest building last month. "It was a determination shared by all the community groups and individuals who came together and worked towards this result," she added.
Ongoing Battle
Despite the victory, she acknowledged that the campaign was not over, adding that they were still awaiting a decision from the Secretary of State on Merkur's appeal against Croydon Council's refusal of planning permission for a change of use from Class E to a sui generis adult gaming centre. Earlier this year, the council refused planning permission for the change of use, citing concerns about noise from a potential gambling facility. With the deadline for objections to Merkur's appeal now passed, Deborah said residents can only "watch this space." Merkur were approached for comment but failed to respond in time for publication.
