Permission Granted To Convert Former West London Bank Into Gambling Venue

A derelict Barclays branch in Hayes, shuttered since July 2023, has been handed a new lease of life after Hillingdon Council approved its conversion into a bingo and slots venue. 

The licensing sub-committee gave the green light on Monday, October 27, allowing the Merkur Group – formerly Cashino – to turn the Station Road premises into a seven-day-a-week gambling hub.

The ground-floor operation will blend live-streamed bingo with traditional paper games and virtual terminals, while slot machines are expected to feature prominently. 

Doors will open from 9am to midnight – a deliberate step back from Merkur’s occasional 24-hour models elsewhere.

Council Cites Gambling Act As Merkur Cleared To Proceed

Council officers cited the Gambling Act 2005’s "aim to permit" rule, which obliges authorities to approve applications that meet regulatory standards.

Merkur’s flawless record - no rejections, no reviews - left little room for refusal. 

Statutory consultees raised no concerns and the sole public objection, relating to parking, was dismissed after the operator stressed that fewer than 10 customers typically occupy its venues at any one time.

The decision comes against a backdrop of growing unease over gambling density in outer London. 

Just days earlier, on October 21, residents in nearby Earl’s Court rallied against a similar push for round-the-clock operations at Admiral Casino on Earl’s Court Road. 

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Locals, led by the Earl’s Court Society, warned that extending hours to 24/7 would transform their vibrant residential high street into a "mini Las Vegas", exacerbating antisocial behaviour, noise and crime in an area already plagued by 711 ASB incidents over the past year - nearly a third of all reported offences.

With two betting shops and two adult gaming centres clustered within a minute’s walk, including the existing 24-hour Silver Time, opponents feared a domino effect. 

They highlighted the vulnerability of hostel dwellers and low-income residents, sharing accounts of constituents spiralling into thousands of pounds in gambling debt, facing homelessness and feeding what they called a predatory model targeting the desperate.

Local Liberal Democrat councillor Linda Wade decried "complaint fatigue" among weary residents, while society vice-chair Sandra Yarwood argued that such venues erode community identity without delivering meaningful jobs, instead relying largely on machines to extract cash from the vulnerable.

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Council Rejects 24-Hour Casino Bid Amid Growing Local Pressure

Admiral’s owners, Luxury Leisure, argued that addiction concerns fell outside the planning remit and that noise assessments indicated minimal impact, citing two and a half complaint-free years. 

However, Kensington and Chelsea Council unanimously rejected the bid on October 22 - a "victory" hailed by campaigners. 

The decision imposed a temporary 12-month trial should the application be revisited, prioritising residential amenity over economic diversification.

Brent East MP Dawn Butler has amplified these voices nationally, repeatedly calling for the "aim to permit" policy to be scrapped, arguing that it sidelines local vetoes amid a surge in west London betting outlets. 

Government consultations are ongoing, but the licensing framework remains unchanged, leaving councils caught between regeneration pressures and the need to safeguard residents.

Hayes Development Highlights National Divide

For Hayes, the site represents a rare high-street regeneration success. 

Vacant since Barclays closed the branch in 2023, the building will now host a social space that operators hope will draw evening trade to nearby shops and cafes.

Critics, however, point to research linking gambling outlets with heightened addiction risks in diverse, working-class areas - drawing clear parallels with Earl’s Court’s recent standoff.

Fit-out work is currently under way, although no firm opening date has been announced. 

When it launches, the former bank will stand as both a community draw and a flashpoint in the national debate over Britain’s gambling landscape - one in which Hayes' measured approach contrasts sharply with Earl's Court’s hard-fought resistance.