A gambling venue in Reading town centre has launched a fresh bid to operate 24 hours a day.

The Golden Touch adult gaming centre situated in West Street has fruit machines and casino game, and currently operates from 9am to 10pm each day.

When Reading Borough Council approved a plan for the premises to be converted from a hair and beauty salon to an adult gaming centre in September 2016, it was approved on the condition that it could only operate during these hours.

Now its owners want to be able to stay open later for people to gamble there.

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A previous attempt to allow Golden Touch to open 24 hours a day was refused in May 2017, and the gaming centre’s agent withdrew another bid for 24 hour use in April 2018.

The plan was refused in 2017 as approval was felt to cause  unacceptable noise and disturbance to the residential amenities of the nearby area.

In a report for the withdrawn application in 2018, a council planning officer wrote: “There is no reason to believe that the situation has changed since the condition was applied, therefore no justification to remove the condition.

“There are a number of residential properties on West Street situated above the shops, and these residents are likely to be disturbed by noise from people coming and going from the premises, and possible congregation of people outside including smoking if this occurs late at night.”

But now, Southern City Leisure Ltd, the owners of Golden Touch, are arguing that no neighbours or residents have complained about either the activity inside or disturbance

A planning agent for Golden Touch also pointed out neighbouring businesses have made no complaints, and that the Bay’s Peri Peri takeaway is allowed to open until 4am.

Furthermore, the planning agent argued that there is a precedent for 24 hour gambling in the area, with the nearby Admiral Adult Gaming Centre and the Little Vegas games centre, both in Friar Street, being allowed to operated 24 hours a day.

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Additionally, Golden Touch has proposed conditions on itself, which state that a maximum 12 customers will be allowed at Golden Touch between midnight and 6am, and that a minimum of two staff members will be working during that time.

Also, they have proposed closing the front door so between midnight and 6am, with customers only being allowed in by a staff member, who would greet each customer to ensure quiet entrance and exit.

You can view documents and comment on the application by typing reference 220128 into the council’s planning portal here: http://planning.reading.gov.uk/fastweb_PL/welcome.asp