A bid to overturn Ealing Council’s decision to block a gambling venue in Hanwell has seen further community opposition, with around 120 people gathering for a rally last Friday (28 November 2025).
Local residents, councillors and campaign groups assembled at the proposed site at 153 to 155 Uxbridge Road, next to the Hanwell Clock Tower, urging the government’s Planning Inspectorate to uphold the council’s original refusal. The site was formerly a Barclays Bank and more recently operated as a Domino’s Pizza.
The application, submitted by Pure Gaming Limited, sought permission to convert the unit into a 24-hour gambling venue described in planning documents as a bingo hall. Ealing Council rejected the proposal on 29 August 2025 after receiving a wave of objections from residents concerned that round-the-clock gambling would damage the character of Hanwell’s high street and exacerbate anti social behaviour.
During the initial consultation, the council received nearly 2,000 responses, with 1,971 objections, just five in support and two neutral. Opponents said a late-night gambling venue would add to existing concerns about safety, noise and crime, while offering little cultural or economic benefit to the community. Many also argued that the proposal would create an over concentration of gambling premises, given that several betting shops and adult gaming centres already operate nearby.
The developer has appealed the council’s refusal, triggering renewed campaigning from residents and local groups. Friday’s rally was organised to coincide with the town’s Christmas tree lighting, with campaigners calling on residents to “turn it into a massive rally” to demonstrate the depth of opposition.
Dominic Kirkbride, a local resident told EALING.NEWS: “It’s disappointing to see that this exploitative business is appealing such a robust refusal of the original planning application, but I’m not surprised. I suspect that they waited until everybody is busy thinking about Christmas before launching their appeal to fly under the radar, but they have underestimated Hanwell’s Christmas spirit. Many of us turned out last week for a third rally, our mailing list and Facebook action groups are growing rapidly and we’re ready for this fight.”
At the rally, speakers warned that the term “bingo hall” was misleading and masked what they believe the venue would actually contain.
In a statement, Ealing Green Party said: “A ‘Bingo Hall’ is a benign sounding way to describe a business that will very likely be full of fixed odds betting terminals which are specially programmed to appeal to vulnerable people and addict them, encouraging them to spend money they cannot afford in as short a time as possible.”
The party added that gambling centres are often deliberately located near vulnerable groups and highlighted estimates from the charity GambleAware which put the societal cost of gambling harm in Ealing at around £15 million a year.
Campaigners also pointed to academic research linking gambling venues to increases in crime and anti social behaviour. A study by Nottingham Trent University found that every one unit increase in betting shops correlated with a 16 percent rise in shoplifting, a 10 percent rise in theft from the person, 7 percent rises in both anti social behaviour and public disorder, and a 6 percent rise in bike thefts.
The council’s planning decision provided a number of grounds for refusal. Officers warned that converting the site from a food and beverage use into a 24-hour gambling centre would harm town-centre vitality and undermine aims to promote a diverse mix of shops and services. They also raised concerns about the impact on nearby residential premises, particularly in relation to late-night noise, disturbance and potential loitering.
Local politicians also raised safety concerns. Several schools lie within walking distance of the proposed venue, and the council noted that its local development policies discourage amusement arcades and similar establishments near educational settings. They argued that the proposal risked exposing young people to gambling environments at an early age.
Campaigners at Friday’s rally said they were determined to keep pressure on the Planning Inspectorate to uphold the council’s refusal. They urged residents to continue submitting objections and to make formal representations during the appeal process.
One local resident, speaking at an earlier protest, said: “We do not want a 24 hour slot casino on our high street preying on vulnerable people, contributing nothing to the local economy and encouraging anti social behaviour.”
The Planning Inspectorate is expected to consider written submissions over the coming weeks, with a decision anticipated in the new year.
EALING.NEWS has contacted Brown & Co, the agents who submitted the application on behalf of Pure Gaming Limited, for comment.
 threw out a controversial planning application to turn a former Barclays Bank into a 24-hour gambling venue in Hanwell, a decision hailed by campaigners as a community victory.){kind=link}