Scarborough Adult Gaming Centre Seeks 24/7 Opening Hours For Third Time

An adult gaming centre in Scarborough has applied for 24-hour operation for a third time, despite previous rejections and police concerns over local crime rates.

An adult gaming centre has applied for 24/7 opening hours for a third time after being previously refused by councillors in North Yorkshire.

The Admiral adult gaming centre (AGC) at 115 – 116 Westborough, Scarborough, could operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, if Luxury Leisure’s proposal is approved at a meeting next week.

The new application for extended opening hours comes after an application to operate 24/7 was rejected by councillors last year. The company also sought permission for 24-hour operation of the site when it initially applied for permission to open the adult gaming centre in Scarborough.

Its current opening hours are from 8am to midnight and according to planning officers, the restricted hours were a key factor in originally granting the AGC permission to open the premises.

The proposal has been recommended for refusal and will be discussed at a meeting of the Scarborough and Whitby Area Planning Committee on Thursday, May 14.

North Yorkshire Police said the operating hours should remain unchanged, as the premises is located in an area with “high crime and disorder levels”, with 488 crimes (previously 416) and 198 anti-social behaviour incidents (previously 215) recorded in the 12 months leading up to January 2026.

A letter submitted on behalf of the applicant states that “there is simply no planning justification to suggest that the existing AGC use is a ‘honey pot’ for criminal or anti-social behaviour or disorder”.

It adds:

“There is no crime associated with the existing AGC use during the existing permitted hours, and there is no reasonable basis to suggest that there would be any increased crime or antisocial behaviour or disorder associated with 24-hour use of the premises.”

The Designing Out Crime officer at North Yorkshire Police noted that “there had been three reports of antisocial behaviour from the premises, two of which were directly linked to the premises and one was reported by a member of staff in relation to an incident that was occurring in the street outside”.

Scarborough Town Council opposed the plans on “the grounds of community impact, social cohesion and inclusion” and added that the “previous application was declined, so granting permission would create an undesirable precedent”.

Two objections were also received from members of the public who said they were concerned about public safety and amenity, which “should be prioritised over 24-hour use”.

Planners said that because of the current operating hours of 8am to midnight, the AGC contributes to both the daytime and evening vitality and viability of the town centre.

However, should the premises remain open past midnight, they said it would “undoubtedly adversely affect and detract from the nature and character of this particular area, attracting clientele that would otherwise frequent the late-night establishments away from the pedestrianised high street, where all retail and other trading is closed”.

Officers added that approving the proposal “would result in significant harm” to the residential amenities of neighbouring properties.

A planning statement by Luxury Leisure’s agent highlights that the company successfully appealed against NYC’s refusal of its proposal for a 24-hour adult gaming centre in Whitby, and described it as a “significant material planning consideration that must be taken into account in the determination of this application”.

A report prepared for next week’s planning committee states that there are “site-specific considerations which fundamentally distinguish the Whitby appeal decision” from the Scarborough application.

The report concludes:

“In particular, North Yorkshire Police did not object to the proposal in Whitby and, accordingly, no condition restricting the hours of operation was proposed in that case. Consequently, it did not fall to the Inspector to consider the necessity of a limitation on operating hours.”

The application has been recommended for refusal and will be debated by councillors at a meeting in Scarborough on Thursday, May 14.