Introduction
East Lindsey District Council (ELDC), Lincolnshire County Council and its regeneration partners have prepared this document to encourage the Casino Advisory Panel to recommend that the Secretary of State grants ELDC authority to licence a small casino under the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005.
The casino would be located in our Coastal Action Zone, which is home to 60,000 people in a linear group of settlements, the largest being Skegness and Mablethorpe.
The family resorts of our Coast were an icon of post–war culture and enjoyed great economic success – their place in the world seemed secure. But although there are still over six million visitors a year, the decline of seaside tourism has led to some of England’s most severe deprivation being located in East Lindsey. The isolation of the coastal communities also means that residents are unable to access the learning and employment opportunities available to people in the deprived urban areas.
We believe a small casino is commercially viable but its critical purpose is to be the centrepiece of a new leisure complex that will restore a sense of place and purpose to the Coast.
The area is an ideal testbed for a small casino. The need for increased economic activity is great; there is a direct link to tourism and leisure and the coast’s very isolation means that economic effects will be ‘contained’ rather than dispersed across a wide urban area, thus maximising their regeneration impact.
Major leisure operators on the Coast have emphasised to us the qualitative benefits that a casino complex would bring. Its high quality would encourage other operators to upgrade their own facilities; year–round opening would extend the season; the conference market would open up; and the casino would be a major addition to the current stock of all–weather facilities on the Coast. Perhaps most important of all, the new development would be a clear statement of confidence in the future of the Coastal resorts – in short a rejuvenation.
A key feature of the coastal economy is its dependence on tourism. For Skegness and Mablethorpe, the potential for casino supported rejuvenation is currently unequalled – there is no alternative of a retail, commercial, industrial or property led regeneration stimulus as is the case in other multiple deprived areas.
Six sites are available without significant planning or ownership difficulties. Whilst the Councils have no preferred developer/operator, three local businesses have expressed firm interest in developing a casino alongside other leisure facilities and have the financial capacity to do so; and there is also interest from national operators. Our financial modelling indicates prima facie financial viability and East Lindsey District Council has formally declared its ‘willingness to licence’.
If ministerial approval is granted, we have no doubt that casino development will proceed promptly, and that the favourable regeneration effects will be great.
3D computer visualisation of the Casino at night. Please click the image to view it at a larger size.
