A gambling establishment in Stranmillis has been given the green light by the council to extend its operation.
At the council ’s recent meeting of its Licensing Committee, elected members approved an application for the provisional grant of an amusement permit by Elite Gaming, Little Vegas (NI) Ltd, 163 Stranmillis Road, despite refusing an application in the summer.
The establishment has been open in Stranmillis since 2013 with business on the ground floor in all that time, despite the applicant owning the whole building since 2012. It will now also have gaming upstairs on the first floor with the new permit, and continue its hours from 3pm until 3am Monday to Sunday.
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The Licensing Committee at its meeting in August this year refused a similar application for an amusement permit for the ground and first floors. This decision, as explained in a council report, was taken on the basis that “the application did not comply with the criterion of the council’s Amusement Permit Policy, in that the first floor of the proposed premises was immediately adjacent to residential use property.”
The council report adds: “The committee, when minded to refuse an application, must afford the applicant the opportunity to make representations at a specified Licensing Committee meeting on the matter before making a final determination on the application. The applicant subsequently confirmed their desire to avail of the opportunity to make further representation.”
Since the August decision the applicant provided a noise impact assessment which the report says had noise levels that were “within recognised limits and should not adversely affect the amenity of residents in the adjacent property.” The report adds: “Notwithstanding the findings of the expert noise consultants, as a goodwill gesture, the applicant proposed additional noise attenuation to ensure no adverse impact.”
The Belfast City Council Amusement Permit Policy, ratified at the council in May 2013, outlines those matters which may be taken into account in determining any amusement permit application and states each application must be assessed “on its own merits.”
DUP Councillor Tracy Kelly said: “I am happy to propose we give this, but also that we keep an eye on the residents next door, and if there are any complaints coming in. We might want to put time restrictions on it.”
The City Solicitor told councillors: “We have the ability to look at the fitness of the applicant when they come back before you for renewal, so even though you might not have an express power to put a condition on it, that effectively is a way to encourage an applicant to mind their manners in terms of complaints.”
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