Betting Shops On Chatsworth Road

From local resident Nick Mathiason, writing in The Observer:

"It was not hard to guess why the owner of Blanks, our thriving local DIY store, closed down. Near to retirement, the former shopkeeper was made an offer he couldn't refuse. The word is that he now spends his days in sunny Mallorca. Which is fair enough, except that now that we know the full story you could argue that the shopkeeper sold the community he once served down the river. Within days of Blanks's closure last October, an A4 sign appeared on its glass front. It said that Shaun Pridmore, the owner of a dozen betting shops in the Home Counties, was applying to open a betting shop. The trouble is there are already two on our scuzzy east London high street, which is less than half a mile long. Anyone with half a brain can see the downside to that. Amazingly, local magistrates didn't. Last Friday they agreed with Pridmore and let him open his shop."

Nick lives off Chatsworth Road. Read the whole of his article which reveals, among other things, that Hackney presently contains 95 betting shops and confirms that the council, which would like to see no more of them, is hamstrung by the planning laws. Now have a look at the Pridmore website which proclaims:

"We are a family business with betting shops throughout the South East of England. The Pridmore family have been bookmakers since 1930 when Harold Pridmore took out his first licence in Stratford, London. We pride ourselves on our high level of customer service as well as competitive odds and exciting daily offers. All of our shops are air-conditioned and all are fitted out to a high standard. As the leisure and betting industry is expanding so is Pridmore Bookmakers; as part of our continuing efforts to meet the growing needs of the industry we are currently developing many exciting betting innovations for our customers."

Exciting betting innovations! High level of customer service! And where do the family-oriented Pridmores live? Not in Clapton, would you believe.

Comments

[felix]

how unethical, selling to the highest bidder...and does Sir Terry Leahy choose to lve in hackney because some of his stores here make huge profits for him (which are quickly whipped out of the borough, incidentally)??
Ands if there was such a thriving indy diy opportunity here not challenged by t*s*o, i**a etc, then all the journalists and intellectualsof E5 would be packing in their day jobs,and opening up wallpaper shops for huge returns for little work.
And what is wrong with another bookies in Chats? Won't the market (since this isn't Pyongyang E5) take care of that? Or is it because working class people tend to like an off-course bet??
Perhaps that's why Hackney, not Esher has 95 bookies?( there used to be 2 race courses in the present Elmbridge Borough,before Hurst Park vanished leaving only Sandown)

[Dave Hill]

Good point on punter/consumer choice. If there's a demand for more betting shops why shouldn't it be met? The counter argument, of course, is that if a betting shop (or any other commercial enterprise) exploits its customers or becomes a magnet for street behaviour that frightens or damages those living nearby, then it should be closed or opposed. Then, before you know it, you're into an argument about what constitutes exploitation, one person's freedom to enjoy themselves as they see fit against another's freedom not to have to live with any unpleasant consequences of that enjoyment and so on. It's always going to be a tricky one (as it was for me with regard to the Palace Pavilion). An interesting angle here is that the options for opponents of Pridmore seem very limited no matter how strong or widespread local feeling is. Anyway, a petition is being raised. I'll try to find out if those who've signed it so far are exclusively either journalists or intellectuals such as yourself, felix.

[Glyn]

As someone from a working class background (28 years on a council estate, thank you very much), I quite agree that a lot of working class people like a bet or two. Fair`s fair. However, Clapton is sinking under the weight of betting shops, and there is a distinct whiff of exploitation by bookmakers. Bookmakers don`t put anything much into an area; they suck out money and the suck the life out of high streets. That`s what we`re seeing now. Fine - if people want a flutter, then go ahead. Surely Hackney doesn`t need the sheer volume of these places, though?!

Oh, and I`m not a journalist or n intellectual, either (I didn`t even make it through uni, as it happens)

[felix]

Perhaps a co-operative bookies might be a solution. Wonder why the CWS hasn't moved into this area. Certainly the money is sucked out, but the same applies to Breweries, (and doesn't(almost) everyone lament the closure of pubs in East London....?? )
Not sure Bookies suck the life out of High Streets, because, unlike large supermarkets, that's where they tend to be, not surrounded by huge car parks etc.
Journalist? Intellectual? ..if 29 years on council estates in Essex qualifies me, then I'm in.

Good luck with the palace cinema. It is easy to say you want a local cinema,
but it has to be followed up with local support. But isn't that what community is about?

[Glyn]

Blast, Felix, you outdo me by one year!