B

Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Con)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 9 September 2025

Debate

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Contribution

My Lords, the principle behind these amendments is one that I support: allowing councils to link planning decisions, which are fundamentally about land use and placemaking, more directly with licensing concerns, which are about gambling regulation and mitigating harm. This serves as a practical and reasonable approach. Too often, local authorities find themselves frustrated by the rigid division between planning and licensing regimes and unable to respond effectively to the concerns of their residents. I totally agree with the noble Lord, Lord Foster of Bath. We know from both research and lived experience that the clustering of gambling premises can have a damaging effect on community well-being and contribute to higher levels of problem gambling. The only question I have for the Minister is: will this Government bring in cumulative impact assessments in this Bill?

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