Slots company bids for town centre gambling arcade

Merkur Slots has applied for permission to open an Adult Gaming Centre in Hastings

Proposals to open a new gambling arcade in an East Sussex town centre have been submitted to council planners.

High street gambling chain Merkur Slots is seeking permission to open an Adult Gaming Centre (AGC) within a vacant shopfront in Queens Road, Hastings.

The application to change the use of the property from a retail unit says such premises typically operate for 24-hours per day, while separate applications seek permission for external changes to the shop.

A spokesperson for Merkur said the proposals "will protect and enhance the vitality and viability of this part of the town centre."

Merkur Slots, which does not currently have a presence in Hastings, previously secured permission to open a different site in Queens Road in 2022 after a council decision to refuse an application was overturned by a planning inspector.

The previous proposal "did not progress", according to the new application, but there are some similarities between the two proposals including how both retail units have residential apartments above, the operator has said.

Merkur said the inspector had previously recommended conditions around noise, which the gambling chain said could also be applied to its current proposals, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

It said: "Merkur Slots noise levels are generally very low and impacts on disturbance to surrounding uses are effectively mitigated and minimal.

"As such, the nature of the use proposed would not result in adverse noise in either the day or night-time hours and the use is appropriate to the busy high street context."

As well as securing planning permission, Merkur Slots will also need to secure an Adult Gaming Centre licence in order to operate from the premises.