Prime Minister Andy Burnham Announces New Powers for Councils to Limit Vape and Betting Shops

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced plans to give local councils more power to restrict the opening of new vape shops and betting shops as part of a broader effort to revitalize Britain's high streets. Under the proposals, new vape shops and adult gaming centres in England will require planning permission. The government also intends to tighten the legal definition of a vape shop to prevent businesses from bypassing these rules by claiming to be general convenience stores. Additionally, the government will scrap the "aim to permit" rule, which currently limits the ability of councils across Great Britain to refuse new betting shops and 24 hour slot machine venues.

To combat organized crime, the government will extend the maximum length of closure orders for premises found to be selling illegal tobacco or linked to criminal activity from six months to twelve months. This measure applies to England and Wales and was previously proposed by Sir Keir Starmer. The National Crime Agency estimates that at least 1 billion pounds of criminal cash is laundered through high street stores annually via tax evasion, illegal drug supply, and fake goods.

Mr. Burnham stated that town centres have been hollowed out by decades of decline and that rogue operators have replaced essential community spaces. The plan also includes new expectations for shop front designs to eliminate oversized logos and garish neon signs. The Centre for Social Justice welcomed the move, noting that Britain has lost nearly 1,800 pubs and bars since 2016 while vape and tobacco shops have increased to almost 2,200.

Opposition to the plan varies by political perspective. Conservative shadow communities secretary Sir James Cleverly agreed that rogue operators are a problem but argued that Labour's business rate increases have already damaged high streets. He warned that increased planning regulations without business support will lead to more empty shops. Reform UK echoed this concern, stating that the policy will only create more vacancies unless the government addresses the jobs tax and business rates. The Green Party described the proposals as inadequate tinkering and called for rent controls for small businesses, while the Liberal Democrats suggested the plan could fail unless the government further cracks down on cowboy operators.