Hi, I work for an organisation called GRASP and we're running a campaign to get bookmakers placed into their own use class. It was one of the only Portas recommendations that the government didn't accept and Eric Pickles states that councils already have the power to say no to a bookmaker under article 4. We know this is not the case and the industry boasts on its own ABB site that councils waste thousands on appeals and lose. We're can we find evidence of bookmakers being rejected on article 4 grounds and then losing on appeal so we can show this to Eric Pickles. Hackney town hall is a Coral and they are proliferating in our poorest areas. Shops are increasing whilst staff numbers have gone down 10%. Councils must be given the power to stop this. We can provide a draft motion for councils to support www.highstreetsfirst.org or you can simply sign the petition. We can't put bookmakers democracy. Problem gambling has increased 50% and this is fuelling it. Please give us your support to give you the power to say yes or no. Kind regards, David
