Casino application for former bank wins approval

The NatWest branch closed in 2017 and has been empty since then

A former bank branch is to be turned into a 24-hour casino after councillors gave their backing to the plans.

West Northamptonshire Council approved the proposal for the old NatWest site on Daventry's High Street.

Daventry Town Council had objected to the plans, warning of "potential effects on the health and wellbeing of vulnerable communities".

The new casino is expected to create about 25 full-time and 20 part-time jobs.

West Northamptonshire is one of a number of councils that has written to the government asking for more powers to decide where adult gaming centres should go.

The Reform UK leader of the council, Mark Arnull, told BBC Politics East: "It defies logic that you fund organisations to help gambling addiction but cannot stop the core problem [of too many gaming venues]."

Objectors pointed out the close proximity of an existing 24-hour gambling venue in Bowen Square

The two-storey listed building opened as a private bank, Hall and Co, in 1809.

It was bought by Northamptonshire Union Bank in the year Queen Victoria assumed the throne in 1837 before becoming National Westminster Bank in 1970. It closed in 2017.

The plans by Dominic Rossookh, a former owner of Aspers Casino in Northampton, would see the ground floor converted into a gaming space, primarily dedicated to poker, alongside slot machines and lower-stakes roulette.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the venue will also feature a bar, dining facilities, a lounge and a seating area for watching live sports.

More than 60 objections were submitted ahead of the West Northamptonshire Council meeting on 9 September, with opponents arguing the development was unsuitable for the town centre and would promote gambling.

Some objectors pointed out the proximity of an existing 24-hour gambling venue in Bowen Square, less than a five-minute walk away.

The government says it is planning to allow councils to carry out cumulative impact assessments, like those already in place for alcohol licensing.