Councillors debate whether casinos should be allowed in Thurrock (From Thurrock Gazette)

Councillors debate whether casinos should be allowed in Thurrock

1:06pm Thursday 26th November 2009 in News

THURROCK Council’s chamber was divided last night as councillors debated whether or not to allow casinos in the borough.

The full council was asked to pass a resolution not to issue casino premises licences for the next three years from January 14 2010.

The Tories argued that allowing casinos would encourage people desperate for cash in a recession, to gamble and get into serious debt.

Deputy leader of the council cllr Amanda Arnold said: “I don’t think it’s right to encourage people to gamble, at a time of financial desperation, because they really can’t see a way out.”

Labour councillors argued that while none of them particularly wanted to see casinos in the borough, each application should be considered on its own merits.

The group was worried that a five star hotel operator may want to set up in the borough, but could be put off if there was no licence for a casino.

Labour councillor for Chadwell St Mary, Gerard Rice, said it must be left to residents to make up their own minds about gambling, he also said that the internet means anyone can gamble at anytime now.

He said: “You can gamble online for 24 hours a day now.

“If people want to go to a casino that is attached to a luxury hotel I can’t see why we would not allow it when all we are going to do is push that business down to Westcliff or London.”

He added: “I don’t think we should be closing that avenue off for three years, judge each application on its own merits.”

The Labour group also argued that the casino could create much needed jobs for young people in the borough.

Cllr Arnold argued against this.

She said: “I really don’t think that is an ambition that we want for our children.

“Casino work is low skilled and low paid, that’s not my ambition for Thurrock.”

Tory councillor for Chafford Hundred, Tunde Ojetola, said casinos are not always glamorous places.

He said: “We are not closing the door to business in Thurrock, we don’t want a casino in Thurrock.

“Not all casinos are like the ones in James Bond films, there a quite a few where people eventually get into lots of debt, I personally wouldn’t want to see that in Thurrock.”

Deputy leader of the Labour party cllr Val Morris-Cook argued that if the Tories were that worried about people gambling they should close down bookies and bingo halls and take fruit machines out of pubs.

She said: “If we are that concerned as a council lets start looking at book makers, and taking fruit machines out of pubs.”

The resolution not to allow casinos in the borough was passed after each Conservative councillor voted in favour of it, supported by BNP cllr Emma Colgate, and Independent cllr Barry Palmer.