The Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee convened to discuss the review of the council's Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005. Following a public consultation, the committee approved the revised draft Statement of Principles and recommended it to the full council for adoption.

Review of the Council's Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005

The main item on the agenda was the review of the council's Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005. The Environmental Health Team Manager presented a report to the committee, summarising the findings of the review and the outcomes of a subsequent 12-week public consultation.

The Gambling Act 2005 requires the council to prepare and publish a Statement of Principles, also referred to as a 'Policy', every three years. This policy serves as the council's tool for regulating gambling within the district, establishing controls for the effective management of gambling activities. The current policy came into effect on 15 February 2023, and an updated Statement of Principles is required to meet legislative requirements.

The proposed amendments to the policy aimed to:

• Modify the format for consistency with neighbouring local authorities.
• Ensure consistency with legislation and statutory guidance.
• Increase clarity.
• Update local demographics.
• Provide clarity on delegations.

The Climate Change and Communities Scrutiny Committee reviewed the revised draft Statement of Principles on 8 April 2025, and requested that public awareness campaigns be conducted through social media to raise awareness of gambling requirements and gambling related harm.

The public consultation on the revised draft Policy ran from 2 June 2025 to 24 August 2025, and was publicised through the council's website and social media platforms, with stakeholders contacted directly via email.

Two responses were received:

• Derbyshire Constabulary noted the contents of the new policy and had no further comments.
• Public Health requested the inclusion of their policy position in the council's policy, and that the policy be translated into different languages.

The Environmental Health Team Manager advised that the requirement for translation was adequately covered in the policy's introductory section, where a translation service is offered on request. They also felt that the council's Policy was not the most suitable place to promote the Public Health's own Policy Position, but that this would be more appropriately situated on the Gambling Act links and information pages of the Bolsover District Council website.

The report noted that gambling-related complaints were low, likely due to the limited number of gambling premises operating in the district. The review indicated no locally identified issues regarding gambling-related crime and harm, but acknowledged that gambling-related harm was a national issue.

The report also included a draft Local Area Profile, intended to give operators a better awareness of the local area and the risks, which includes both potential and actual risks.

Councillor Mary Dooley, Portfolio Holder for Health & Wellbeing, moved that the committee approve the revised draft Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005 for referral to full Council, and this was seconded by Councillor David Bennett.

The committee resolved to:

1. Approve the revised draft Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005.
2. Refer the Policy to full Council with a recommendation that the draft Statement of Principles under the Gambling Act 2005 be adopted.

Minutes - Licensing & Gambling Acts Committee

The committee approved the minutes of the last Licensing & Gambling Acts Committee meeting held on 30 April 2025.