New vape shops in England will need planning permission, says Burnham
Key Points
- New vape shops in England will need planning permission from their local council.
- The definition of a vape shop tightens so businesses cannot avoid the rules by calling themselves convenience stores.
- Councils across Great Britain gain more power to refuse new betting shops and 24-hour slot machine shops.
- Shops caught selling illegal tobacco can face closure orders of up to twelve months in England and Wales.
- The National Crime Agency estimates £1 billion of criminal cash passes through UK high street stores each year.
Every new shop selling e-cigarettes in England will need planning permission from its local council under government plans to change what can open on the high street.
The rules also tighten the definition of a vape shop, closing the route businesses use to sidestep restrictions by describing themselves as general convenience stores or retailers.
Councils across Great Britain will lose the “aim to permit” rule, which currently limits their ability to refuse new betting shops and 24-hour slot machine shops.
New adult gaming centres, which give customers round-the-clock access to gambling machines, will require planning permission in England.
Mini-marts and vape shops caught selling illegal tobacco face closure orders lasting up to twelve months in England and Wales, extending powers first proposed by former prime minister Keir Starmer.
“The rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services, and community spaces that people are crying out for,” said Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
He said town centres had been “hollowed out” by decades of decline and that “for many people, the high streets they grew up with have become unrecognisable”.
“We’re putting communities back in control and giving local people a real say over what opens on their high street,” Burnham added.
The National Crime Agency estimates criminals launder at least £1 billion through UK high street stores every year through businesses tied to fake goods, tax evasion, illegal working and illegal drug supply.
The announcement coincides with a tour of the UK by the prime minister, with Downing Street saying he will be in “listening mode” as he works on a 10-year plan.
