Plans for a new adult gaming centre on a Greenwich high street have been blasted by the council after locals claimed the area was on a ‘downward spiral’.

The authority has said it would have refused plans to convert a vacant unit on Eltham High Street into a Merkur Slots gambling centre.

Councillors criticised the plans to have the centre open 24 hours a day.

However, the council lost its power to have the final decision on the proposal after the applicant made an appeal due to the authority taking too long to make a decision.

The application on the new branch is to be ultimately decided by the Planning Inspectorate at a later date.

Greenwich Council was still required to conclude whether it would have granted or refused permission if the appeal had not been lodged.

The topic was discussed at a planning meeting for the council on July 16.

Labour Councillor Calum O’Byrne Mulligan said there were three other betting shops and a casino within 50 yards of the proposed gambling centre, and claimed none of the bookmakers operated beyond 10pm.

Gemma McConnell, speaking on behalf of the applicant, said at the meeting that adult gaming centres typically stayed open for 24 hours a day, unlike betting shops.

She added that the centre would feature low-stake gambling machines and the applicant had agreed a set of conditions with police including a CCTV system and a proof of age scheme.

She said: “There’s been lots of references to this being a bookmakers and a betting shop but it’s not. It’s an adult gaming centre, an AGC. They are very, very different venues and uses and have a very different clientele.”

The application received 62 objections from locals, with one claiming Eltham High Street was on a ‘downward spiral’.

The planning committee refused the application on the basis of there already being a high concentration of gambling related venues in the area and the potential impact on anti-social behaviour.

Cllr O’Byrne Mulligan said: “I feel uncomfortable with the idea of another gambling premises within the location given there are four already within quite a small area of Eltham High Street and I think the length of hours of operation are also of concern given when people have had a couple of drinks they are more likely to engage in risky behaviour or have a distorted perception of risk.”