UK Government Moves to Scrap ‘Aim to Permit’ Rule, Handing Councils Expanded Powers to Reject Betting Shops and Gaming Centers

The UK government plans to scrap the “aim to permit” rule, which currently restricts councils’ ability to refuse planning applications for new betting shops and 24-hour slot machine shops. Councils across Great Britain will gain greater powers to block these businesses from opening in town centers. In England, new adult gaming centers offering 24-hour access to gambling machines will also need to secure planning permission.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner told BBC Breakfast that many people were frustrated at gambling outlets “popping up even near schools and some of them are linked to illegal activity and crime.”

The National Crime Agency estimates that at least £1 billion of criminal cash is laundered through high street stores in the UK each year. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said town centers had been “hollowed out” by decades of decline. He said he did not accept the decline of the high street as “inevitable.”

The proposals come as Burnham begins a tour of the UK, with Downing Street saying he will be in “listening mode” during his visits as he works on a “10-year plan to bring back hope.” Burnham said the measures would give councils more power to determine what kinds of businesses are allowed to open in town centers. He also said the plans had been “shaped” by a series of BBC News Investigations that exposed organized crime operating on high streets.

Burnham pointed to Operation Vulcan in Cheetham Hill, Greater Manchester, which cleared the area of counterfeits and crime. “When I look at police reform across England, I will be asking for a similar approach to be taken,” he said. “I want the strongest possible neighbourhood policing, with all agencies involved, to rip out criminal behaviour that is pulling places down.”

Local Authority Powers and High Street Strategy

The changes target businesses connected to fake goods, tax evasion, illegal working and illegal drug supply. Burnham framed the initiative as a way to restore recognizable high streets, rejecting any assumption that decline must continue. The approach draws directly from enforcement actions like Operation Vulcan as a model for coordinated agency efforts.

Opposition Concerns on Economic Effects

The Conservatives and Reform criticized the proposals, arguing that they would result in “more empty” shops unless tax relief was also provided for other small businesses. As reported by Yogonet International, the plans focus on increasing local control without additional measures to support broader retail viability on high streets.

Reporting: Yogonet International

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