Uncertainty around future of Corby's Game store

The Game store in Corby is subject to a planning application to turn it into a bookmaker. Image: National WorldThe Game store in Corby is subject to a planning application to turn it into a bookmaker. Image: National World
The Game store in Corby is subject to a planning application to turn it into a bookmaker. Image: National World
There’s a question mark over a popular Corby gaming store after a planning application was submitted to turn it into a betting shop.

GAME, in Corporation Street, is a stalwart of the town’s high street.

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It’s a part of the mega-conglomerate Frasers Group, founded by Mike Ashley.

But now a planning application has been received from Irish bookmaker BoyleSports to convert the unit into a betting shop.

How the new BoyleSports unit could look. Image: BoyleSportsHow the new BoyleSports unit could look. Image: BoyleSports
How the new BoyleSports unit could look. Image: BoyleSports

The firm wants to open its first Northamptonshire outlet there. BoyleSports was started in Ireland in 1989 and has 300 shops but its operations in England have previously been centred around the North West.

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It’s change of use planning application states that despite active marketing since April 2023, there has been no interest from other retailers.

It says “(The new shop) would add to the attractiveness of the centre by enhancing the vitality and viability of the town centre through providing a complementary use to existing retail uses within the area. Betting offices have been shown to support the vitality and viability of centres in numerous appeal decisions as they generate footfall and encourage people to spend longer in the centre, therefore supporting the shopping function of centres.”

BoyleSports say that they would spend £30,000 fitting out the shop which would generate about £9,500 of business rates annually

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The firm says it would create three full time and three part time jobs as well as 26 temporary construction jobs during the fit-out.

Coral and William Hill have both exited the town centre in the past three years although there are other betting shops in the vicinity.

Frasers Group has moved many of its GAME outlets inside its other larger shops including Sports Direct. The company also owns the large former Littlewoods unit in Queen’s Square and, despite promising to open a Sports Direct there several years ago, it remains empty.

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This newspaper has learned that the firm has only a short-term tenancy on the GAME unit which it is unwilling to change to a longer term contract.

It’s thought staff have been left in the dark over the plans. But a planning application is now in the public domain and the unit has been advertised on the open rental market.

There have been two objections to the blueprints. The first is from a planning consultant instructed to object on behalf of an un-named ‘nearby occupier’. That objection states: “The application fails to provide any actual evidence of this or marketing information to justify the loss of the unit in the town centre. The unit is in a popular retail area.. so would suit a wide range of retail occupiers.”

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A second planning consultant, also working for a nearby business, states: “This part of the town centre already includes three betting offices. Should change of use be permitted, the primary shopping area will accommodate no less than four betting office uses in close proximity, something which will clearly dilute the aim of promoting a strong retail mix in the town. Allowing this cluster of similar non-retail uses will detract from the attractiveness of the centre and undermine the shopping character of what is a prominent frontage in the centre.”

Our reporters received no reply from Fraser Group’s press office.

Corby Town Centre manager Dan Pickard declined to comment.

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