Fenland councillor slams 'stupid decision' on Wisbech casino

The application, approved under delegated powers, will see another round-the-clock gambling premises open in the former Halifax bank premises on Market Place — bringing the total in close proximity to three.

Speaking at this month's full council meeting, Cllr Steve Tierney criticised both the outcome and the speed at which the decision was made.

He said the application appeared to pass through the system far quicker than usual, raising concerns about public perception.

“A lot of applications seem to take weeks or even months to go through… this one seemed to zoom through at top speed,” he said.

While stressing he was not alleging wrongdoing, Cllr Tierney added: “You can see why the public would look at it and say, ‘Why did that application go through so quickly? It doesn’t look good."

He said he opposed the scheme as a local member, citing a lack of support from heritage officers and a conflict with local planning policy.

“It seems to me to be a very, very poor and ill-considered decision,” he said.

Cllr Tierney also questioned why the application had not been referred to the planning committee for a public decision.

He warned of the cumulative impact of gambling venues in the town centre, adding: “The last thing a small market town needs is to be surrounded by 24-hour casinos, which prey upon the vulnerable.”

Calling for changes to the process, he said: “We need to have a close look at how we decide such things in future… and say what brought you to make this stupid decision.”

Responding, council leader Cllr Chris Boden said he keeps a clear distance from planning decisions but made clear he did not support the outcome of this particular application.

“If I had had a part to play in this particular decision, I most definitely would have voted against this particular application,” he said.

Cllr Boden said the scheme involved a change of use to a gambling establishment and noted there were already two similar venues “within a stone’s throw” of the site.

“I would personally have said enough is enough,” he added.

He also suggested that not enough weight had been given to objections from local groups.

“In my opinion… insufficient weight was given to the representations made by the local civic society, by the local town council and by the local member,” said Cllr Boden.

The leader added that planning decisions often involve balancing competing policies, but warned that upcoming national changes could further limit councillors’ involvement.

He said new rules expected later this year could mean more than 90% of applications are decided by officers, with councillors no longer able to refer most cases to committee.

“We will no longer have the legal right to challenge the overwhelming majority of planning applications,” he said, describing the change as “a very retrograde step”.

Fenland District Council is expected to update its constitution in September to reflect the new system, with Cllr Boden saying the authority would need to ensure local views continue to be properly considered in officer decisions.