Labour MP Michelle Welsh has welcomed new government powers giving councils a greater say over the number of vape and betting shops opening on local high streets, saying residents have been denied a voice for “too long”.
The Sherwood Forest MP backed Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s high street reforms, which will require new vape shops to obtain planning permission and give councils stronger powers to reject new gambling premises.
Writing on X, Welsh said:
“How many vape shops does one high street actually need?
“It’s a question people in Sherwood Forest ask me a lot. And it’s a fair one. Because for too long, local people have had no say on the shops that open in our town centres.
“Today, we are changing that.”
Welsh said Labour was “giving councils the power they need to bring town centres back to life”, highlighting the Government’s crackdown on vape and betting shops.
Under the proposals announced by Burnham, new vape shops in England will require planning permission, closing a loophole which has allowed them to open under broader commercial planning classifications. The definition of a vape shop will also be tightened to prevent businesses avoiding the new restrictions by presenting themselves as general convenience stores.
The Government also intends to scrap the Gambling Act’s controversial “aim to permit” rule, which has restricted councils’ ability to refuse new betting shops and other gambling premises even where there is significant local opposition.
Adult gaming centres offering access to slot and fruit machines will also require planning permission under the proposed reforms.
The Local Government Association welcomed the announcement, saying the changes would give councils and communities a greater say over the shops and services found on their high streets.
Burnham said the reforms were needed after decades in which many high streets had been “hollowed out”, arguing that local councils should have the powers needed to rein in unwanted premises and revive town centres.
The measures also include stronger action against rogue businesses linked to organised crime and plans to improve the appearance of town centres, including tackling poor-quality shopfronts, oversized logos and garish signage.
For Welsh, however, the central issue is local control: ensuring residents in communities such as those across Sherwood Forest have a meaningful say over how their town centres develop.
Her intervention adds to growing support from Labour MPs and local government leaders for Burnham’s high street agenda, with the Government seeking to shift power towards councils and communities to shape the future of their town centres.
