⚠️ UPDATE – JUNE 2026: Golden Slots has reapplied. The deadline to object is 18 June 2026. Guidance and templates are available at:

 https://ashfordra.co.uk/barclays-bank

We are calling on Spelthorne Borough Council to refuse the application by Golden Slots for a 24-hour Adult Gaming Centre at 39 Church Road, Ashford , the site of the former Barclays bank.

Nearly 3,000 residents have already signed this petition!  In October 2025, the Spelthorne Licensing Sub-Committee refused the application, finding that the risks to children and vulnerable people could not be managed even with conditions. The applicant did not appeal.

Golden Slots has now submitted a fresh application. Nothing material has changed:

• Three schools remain within 0.4 miles
• Two care homes remain within 0.2 miles
• Ashford Library is just 282 feet away
• 2,188 crimes were recorded in the area in the past year
• Surrey Police launched a dedicated operation "Safer Ashford", to tackle crime and deprivation here

❓ Haven't we already been through this?

Yes. And that's exactly the point!

Operators who pursue this type of venue are experienced at playing the long game. They reapply. They wait. They hope that the community that fought so hard last time is too tired, too busy or too disheartened to do it all again. This strategy even has a name "Resistance Fatigue", and it is a deliberate tactic.

The good news is that we know it's coming. And knowing it's coming is how we beat it.

Every time this community shows up, every formal representation submitted, every objection on record, it makes the next application harder to bring.

The October 2025 refusal stands permanently. Let's build on it.

A petition signature shows community feeling. But the single most effective action you can take is submitting a formal representation to Spelthorne Licensing before 18 June 2026.

The Ashford Residents Association has published free step-by-step guidance, ready-to-use templates and infographics at https://ashfordra.co.uk/barclays-bank . If you want to stay informed about this and other local issues, you can also find out more about joining the ARA there.

Please sign, share and submit. Ashford says no, again!