A BETTING company has been given the go-ahead to open a shop in Basingstoke after winning an appeal.

William Hill launched an appeal with the planning inspectorate after Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Development Control committee rejected its application in August last year to change the use of the premises, in Winchester Street, into a betting shop.

The plans asked to change the Top of The Town venue, which was previously occupied by various bars and nightclubs, from a drinking establishment to a betting office.

The appeal has now been granted with various conditions imposed, including that it should not open for customers outside the hours of 8am and 10pm Mondays to Saturdays, and 8.30am to 10pm on Sundays.

The appeal decision report, written by inspector Alex Hutson, said the council failed to inform a third party of the appeal, and as a result an allowance was made under exceptional circumstances to seek the comments of the third party.

It added that a betting shop would “conflict” with a masterplan created by the council for the Top of The Town (TOTT), which aims to improve the shopping and food offer in the area to make it a more attractive destination, with a focus on independent and specialist shops.

The report said: “Nevertheless, whilst it sets out a positive vision for the future of the area and seeks to empower local people to shape their own surroundings, the TOTT has not been adopted as a supplementary planning document and does not form part of the council’s development plan. Therefore, as a material planning consideration, I cannot afford the TOTT any significant weight in the determination of this appeal.”

Mr Hutson said the venue had been marketed since March 2014, resulting in little interest. He added: “The appeal property has therefore made no contribution to the viability and vitality of the town centre over this period and I have no evidence to demonstrate that it is likely to, in terms of a Class A use, in the near future.”

He pointed out that there are a number of other vacant units along Winchester Street, which are also “unlikely to be contributing to the viability and vitality of the town centre”.

He added: “One additional betting office would not significantly affect the overall balance of the existing uses on offer to serve the requirements of local people, given the large overall number of units.”

Mike Townsend, the borough council’s planning and development manager, said: “The application was for the change of use from bar to a betting shop. We received over 19 objections and the Development Control Committee refused the application as it was contrary to the Top of The Town masterplan. However as the masterplan isn’t an adopted planning policy document the planning inspector could not take this into account.”

Chas Bradfield, head of borough development and implementation, added: “The Basingstoke Town Centre Programme focuses on implementing the Top of The Town masterplan, which is a vision for the future of the place, not a planning policy. As part of bringing the vision into reality, we are working with our colleagues in the planning team to look at ways that planning policies may support this vision in the future.”