Category: Worksop News

An application for a new gambling centre in Worksop has received objections from residents over fears of anti-social behaviour rising in the town.

Applicant Champion Gaming Ltd has submitted an application to Bassetlaw District Council to convert the former Greenwoods clothing along 13 Bridge Street in Worksop town centre, Bassetlaw into a gambling centre.

The ground floor of the site will see electronic gaming and amusement machines and the first floor will contain offices and storage spaces.

The centre will operate for 24-hours a day, employing five full-time staff members and a part-time head office staff member.

Planning documents supporting the application read: “In addition, the retail market has changed significantly in recent years with the advent of internet shopping, even in primary shopping areas, there has been a move toward a greater variety of operators catering to different needs.

“The role of the town centre is evolving with a shift away from retail dominated provision to services of all types, including leisure (eg. Bars,
cafes and entertainment).”

However, the application received 26 objections from residents.

They raised concerns over the noise impact on the town centre, and worries over an increase in anti-social behaviour especially at night.

Others said gambling “should not be encouraged” in a “deprived” area, and will have detrimental effects on “community well-being”.

Residents were also worried the gambling centre may bring more crime into the town, while others said it would have a negative impact on retailers nearby.

The applicant said the they will take measures to control the potential for noise disturbances through double-glazing of the property.

Documents read: “A new double glazed shop front is proposed to replace the existing glazed frontage, however this is not subject of this change of use application and is likely to need planning permission in its own right.

“There is no anticipated noise disturbance to the adjacent retail premises through party walls and there is assumed no residential unit at first floor level at the application property.”

Documents say the gambling centre would bring “vitality” and “viability” to the town centre, creating employment opportunies and increasing footfall.

Documents read: “In conclusion AGC use at ground floor level with associated office use at first floor level is considered in line with policy that aims to regenerate Worksop Town Centre while bringing vacant units back into uses, creating employment opportunities and footfall into the town
centre which will generate associated trips to other nearby town centre uses and will not harm the vitality and viability of this primary town centre shopping frontage.

“The use will not generate unacceptable levels of noise or have a detrimental impact on the current levels of amenity to adjacent residential units therefore the application is therefore recommended for approval.”

The application will be considered at Bassetlaw Council’s next Planning Committee on Wednesday, May 21.

The multi-million pound revamp project to a Worksop shopping centre is now one step closer to starting after a slight delay in the schemes financial contributions.

Back in October 2024, Bassetlaw District Council’s planning committee granted planning permission for the redevelopment of the Priory Centre in Worksop.

The scheme involves a part-demolition and part-new build extension to the centre, which will facilitate new tenpin bowling, crazy golf, a café and an indoor soft play.

A new indoor market will also be built, along with a separate food court and retail food and drink units.

Building contractors G F Tomlinson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service in October that they had hoped to commence building works early 2025.

However, a slight delay on the projects Section 106 agreement – which sets out the financial contributions developers make to help enhance local infrastructure – has meant physical progress on site has been limited and the scheme only approved on the council’s planning portal last Friday (May 9).

As the district council is the developer, it is not able to enter into a Section 106 agreement with itself, so required Nottinghamshire County Council to uphold it.

In a statement, Craig Taylor, Director of Regeneration and Neighbourhoods at the council, said: “This added an extra layer of complexity above and beyond a traditional Section 106 agreement, which has unfortunately taken longer than it would normally. However, we’re pleased to confirm that the agreement is signed, and the decision has now been issued.

“There are also a number of conditions attached to the planning approval, which include complex technical details of the development and construction, that must be agreed and discharged before any development on site can begin.

“While there may not appear to be much physical progress being made on the regeneration of the Priory Centre, we would like to reassure businesses and residents that we are working extremely hard behind the scenes, in collaboration with our contractor G F Tomlinson and other partners, to make a generational change to this part of Worksop Town Centre.”

The council cannot confirm at this stage when it expects building work to commence.

The bottom floor of the centre will include leisure units, retail spaces, the food court and the indoor market. The first floor will include bowling lanes.

Part of the wider redevelopment includes an outline application for up to 44 residential units and a new pedestrian footbridge over Chesterfield Canal to allow better access into the new centre.

BPL – the council’s leisure partners – will be behind the developments planned family entertainment complex.

The revamped centre will be paid for with £17.9 million of government funding awarded in January 2023 along with £2 million from the council and its partners.

The scheme will give just under £30,000 to NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board, with nearly £27,000 going towards GPs.

If 44 properties are built, around nine homes will come under affordable housing.

“Illegal street racing and antisocial driving will not be tolerated”

That’s the message from Nottinghamshire Police as a targeted operation continues to crackdown on dangerous motorists in Worksop.

The force launched Operation Wheelspin in October 2024 as part of a co-ordinated county-wide response to car cruising, which can involve drivers meeting to race at high speeds, performing reckless stunts, or other antisocial behaviour, such as setting off flares and fireworks.

New data reveals that offences have decreased across Notts by 20 per cent since the operation was launched.

Hotspots for unlicensed car meets, which cause road safety, antisocial behaviour, and noise concerns, include the A57 in Worksop.

Officers from the force’s neighbourhoods and roads policing unit are out each week patrolling these areas and the wider road network across Nottinghamshire.

Positive action has so far been taken against 181 drivers, which can include seizing vehicles, reporting motorists for court summons, or issuing traffic offence reports and Section 59 notices.

Traffic offence reports cover a wide range of motoring offences such as driving without a seatbelt or with worn tyres and can result in a fine or driving licence points.

A Section 59 notice places Police National Computer markers on vehicles and individuals, meaning that any similar behaviour in the next 12 months can lead to prosecution and vehicles being seized.

In total, the licence plates of 1,401 motorists seen racing or at car meets have been recorded by officers to improve the force’s intelligence picture and identify drivers who participate in future antisocial driving.

They risk prosecution and having their vehicles seized if their behaviour continues.

PC Abigail Green, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Nottinghamshire is not a personal racetrack and we have a zero-tolerance approach to antisocial driving.

“Stunts, collisions, and excessive speed by often young and inexperienced drivers can result in life-changing injuries and fatalities on our roads.

“Our robust response sends a clear message that motorists from across the county and wider region who travel here to race will be prosecuted.

“Innocent members of the public are on occasion left to pick up pieces from collisions and costly insurance claims. We will continue proactively patrolling our neighbourhoods and road network to keep communities safe.

“Our county-wide response removes nuisance drivers from the roads and makes Nottinghamshire a hostile and undesirable racing location.

“I would encourage car enthusiasts who enjoy driving to ensure they do this safely and legally at approved sites.”

A train firm has recovered more than £1.9 million from fare dodgers in 12 months.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) said the figure was recovered from those travelling between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025.

During this period, the firm’s revenue protection officers and onboard staff issued 11,798 notices, returning a combined total of £1,912,887.

The notices were issued to those travelling without a valid ticket, travelling with a child ticket as an adult, travelling without a valid railcard and travelling beyond the destination printed on a ticket.

Customer Experience Director at East Midlands Railway, Philippa Cresswell said: “The vast majority of customers do the right thing and pay for their travel – they understand that a fair and sustainable railway relies on everyone contributing.

“Unfortunately, a small number continue to try and travel without paying. The impact of fare evasion is felt by our law-abiding, fare-paying customers and, ultimately, the taxpayer. It’s indefensible for certain individuals to believe they’re exempt from paying for our services.

“Put simply, fare evasion is a criminal offence, and we’re committed to taking action against those who deliberately avoid paying.

“Indeed, our revenue protection, fraud and security teams work both in uniform and plain clothes in order to monitor and catch fare evaders – whether they are travelling without a ticket, have a ticket for part of their journey, or are fraudulently travelling on a child’s ticket.”

Customers are being warned they should buy their ticket from the ticket office, a ticket machine, or online. If they are using pay-as-you-go or a smartcard ticket, they should ensure they touch in to start their journey as required.

If the ticket office is closed, customers will be able to buy a ticket from a machine or online before they board a train.

Customers who travel on East Midlands Railway (EMR) without a valid ticket can be fined £100, in addition to the price of a single ticket.