Community benefits
The primary benefits for the community will be an improvement in local economic and employment opportunities. Deprived residents currently on welfare benefit will be employed on fair wages at the casino and associated facilities. Some employees will be attracted there from existing jobs; but this will release an equivalent number of jobs (‘backfilling’) for those not currently active. The upside of a remote coastal labour market is that there is nowhere else from which workers can be drawn. The casino will therefore not only create all season employment, but also create career opportunities for local residents. Casinos have an established career structure unlike the traditional seaside tourist industry.
Isolation is not absolute, and we accept that the benefits will be lessened – compared with gross benefits – by an increase in net in-commuting. This increase will, we anticipate, absorb the bulk of the most senior jobs, but only a small number of the mass of relatively junior posts. The retention of activity within the local area would be reinforced by use of a local developer.
Favourable economic change is associated with favourable social change, such as reduced crime and improved health and in the Coastal Action Zone, we expect people’s social conditions to improve as a result of improved economic performance.
These beneficial effects will be reinforced by measures to mitigate the adverse impact of gambling. We intend, for instance, to make willingness to contribute to community support programmes such as Credit Unions, a ‘desirable’ condition when we decide on the award of a licence. In addition to any development gains the council is currently reviewing the potential of requesting a super-profit contribution from operators, which will involve operators contributing a percentage above industry norm profits to support local community projects.
The introduction of the casino will act as stimulant to the existing business community. The high standards of design and service will provide a quality benchmark in the Coastal Action Zone and assist with the council’s commitment to delivering quality improvements.
The benefits to the community arising from the development in terms of planning gain are difficult to quantify at this stage as the six sites have different characteristics and infrastructure requirements. It is expected that any development will contribute to necessary road and highway access improvements.
A small casino on the coast has the potential to attract all year leisure investment, reducing the stresses placed on the community during the winter months.
Both East Lindsey District Council and Lincolnshire County Council have a recognised record of working with developers to secure additional community benefits eg. The Conoco Room at Louth Library; Wingas Development at Saltfleetby; Centrica contribution to Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve environmental enhancements. Whilst potential community gain from the development thus needs to be identified, all local communities within the Coastal Action Zone are supportive of the concept and its regeneration focus.
