Brendan Conboy was speaking as Lancaster city councillors prepared to rubber-stamp plans to convert two floors of the Riversway House office block on Morecambe Road – former home of Legend Communications – into a gambling centre, just yards from the school.

"Our whole school community is horrified at the prospect of gambling taking place so close to the school gates," said Mr Conboy.

"Although the proposed opening hours for the casino are outside school hours, many children are still on school premises in the evenings for clubs and training.

"There would also be nothing to stop the casino applying to open earlier in future.

"We do not want our pupils to see anything that promotes gambling as glamorous or a normal part of daily life. There is concern nationally about the addictiveness of gambling and we think it is completely inappropriate to place a casino so close to a school."

Mr Conboy also raised concerns over the car parking capacity at the site which he said "seems totally inadequate" and the influence a casino might have on levels of anti-social behaviour in the area.

"We are also concerned on behalf of the wider community as we do not believe the area has sufficient numbers of affluent families to patronise such an establishment," he said.

"Instead many customers are likely to come from the large number of poorer families in the area who are attracted by the dream of winning and the ease of a facility on their doorstep."

The proposals, submitted by the building's owner Andrew Brake-well, have been given the thumbs-up in a planning report.

Lancaster city councillors will meet next Monday, October 6, to make the final decision on whether planning permission should be given.
Eight other letters of objection have been sent to the council about the application.

But Lancaster City Council planning policy welcomes casinos as an appropriate facility for the city. Their report says: "Con-cerns have been expressed regarding the social impacts of encouraging gambling. However, this alone is not a valid planning reason for objection.

"In relation to concerns regarding increased anti-social behaviour and crime, these matters would be dealt with by the police and the licensing authority, neither of whom object to the principle of the proposal.
Undue
"The development is sustainably located and due to its siting will not cause undue disturbance to local residents."

The plans are for the ground floor and second floor to be used for the casino, leaving the top floor free for office space. On the ground floor, the casino would have its management suite, catering and hospitality, with the gaming room on the first floor.

Proposed opening hours for the office accommodation would be 9am to 5.30pm, and for the casino 6pm to 4am. The casino would be expected to generate 30 new jobs.