Merkur submits fresh plans for Hastings town center gaming arcade

High street gambling chain Merkur Slots has submitted an application to the Hastings Borough Council to open an Adult Gaming Centre (AGC) on Queens Road. The gambling operator, which runs high street arcades across the UK, is seeking permission to convert a vacant retail unit into a 24-hour premises.

Separate applications have also been lodged to allow for exterior alterations to the shopfront. A Merkur spokesperson said the proposals "will protect and enhance the vitality and viability of this part of the town centre," reports BBC.

If approved, the venue would be the company’s first in Hastings. Merkur previously received approval for another Queens Road site in 2022 after a council decision to refuse its application was overturned by a planning inspector. That project ultimately did not move forward, the operator stated in its latest submission.

The new plans carry similarities with the earlier scheme, including the location of residential apartments above the proposed site. Merkur has indicated that conditions on noise recommended by the planning inspector during the earlier case could be applied again.

"Merkur Slots' noise levels are generally very low and impacts on disturbance to surrounding uses are effectively mitigated and minimal," the operator said. "As such, the nature of the use proposed would not result in adverse noise in either the day or night-time hours, and the use is appropriate to the busy high street context."

In addition to planning approval, Merkur will also need to secure an Adult Gaming Centre licence before the venue can begin operations.