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New vape shops will require planning permission and councils will get more powers to stop betting shops, under government plans aimed at improving high streets.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said town centres had been "hollowed out" by decades of decline and "for many people, the high streets they grew up with have become unrecognisable".
BBC News has exposed organised crime on high streets across the country, revealing shops selling illegal cigarettes and vapes, selling cannabis and cocaine, enabling illegal working and suspected money-laundering.
The Conservatives and Reform said the proposals would lead to "more empty" shops, without tax relief for other small businesses.
Burnham said the measures will give councils more power to control what businesses open in town centres.
The proposals come as the prime minister embarks on a tour of the UK, with Downing Street saying he will be in "listening mode" during his visits as he works on a "10-year plan to bring back hope".
The plans announced by the government include:
Changes to planning law which would mean every new shop selling e-cigarettes, or vapes, would need to apply to their local council for permission to open (England only)
Tightening the definition of a vape shop to prevent businesses avoiding the rules by describing themselves as a general convenience store or retailer (England only)
Scrapping a rule known as "aim to permit", which currently restricts councils' ability to refuse new betting shops and 24-hour slot machine shops (Great Britain-wide)
Requiring planning permission for new adult gaming centres, which offer 24-hour access to gambling machines (England only)
New powers to extend closure orders for mini-marts and vape shops found to be selling illegal tobacco or up to twelve months, something previously proposed by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (England and Wales)
The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that at least £1bn of criminal cash is laundered through high street stores in the UK each year through businesses connected to the sale of fake goods, tax evasion, illegal working and illegal drug supply.
Burnham said "the rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services, and community spaces that people are crying out for".
He added: "That's not on. I said we would improve Britain's high streets, and that's exactly what we are starting to do.
"We're putting communities back in control and giving local people a real say over what opens on their high street."
Two men stand outside a vape shop called Top Store
In response to the announcement, Conservative shadow communities secretary Sir James Cleverly said "once-treasured shops" have been replaced by a "smattering of rogue operators".
But Sir James said increases to business rates by Labour had left "empty units for whoever is left standing to fill".
He said: "Unless the government takes steps to support the high streets and hard-working businesses, Labour's increases in planning regulation will just mean more empty and boarded up shops."
For the Liberal Democrats, home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said Burnham's plan "could go up in a puff of smoke" unless he toughens up powers to "properly crack down on cowboy vape shops and dodgy operators".
His calls included asking the prime minister to scrap the business rates system.
Reform UK economy spokesman Robert Jenrick said: "Until this government scraps the jobs tax, addresses sky-high business rates and provides real, fundamental support for high street businesses, this policy will only create even more empty shops on our high streets."
A Green Party spokesperson said the government's proposals "look like more inadequate tinkering and reannouncements".
They called on the prime minister to "go further and allow councils to introduce rent controls for small businesses".
The Betting and Gaming Council said it supports "tough action against criminal operator" and agrees "local people should have a proper say over their high streets".
A spokesperson for the industry body added it was "simply wrong" to suggest that betting shops are spreading "unchecked", adding around 3,000 shops have closed since 2019.
Councillor Eamonn O'Brien, who chairs the Local Government Association, said it was "positive" that councils and communities "will get a greater say on what shops and services are found on their high streets".
For 18 months, BBC News has reported on high street organised crime, including drug gangs, money laundering, child sexual exploitation reports, immigration crime and ghost directors linked to shop fronts selling illegal cigarettes and illegal vapes.
In April 2025, the BBC joined the NCA as it raided barbers, mini-marts and vape shops in response to growing intelligence reports that some of these shops were being used for money laundering and illegal working.
In May and June of last year, the team found secret underground tunnels supplying sacks of illegal cigarettes to high street mini-marts in Hull.
In July last year, mass Freedom of Information requests revealed for the first time that 3,700 illegal shops had operated across the UK.
In November, the BBC exposed asylum seekers buying and selling high street mini-marts for cash and criminal kingpins erasing £60,000 illegal working fines, and revealed a Kurdish organised crime gang operating on high streets the length of Britain.
In response, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood launched an "urgent" investigation led by the NCA, Immigration Enforcement, HMRC and police forces from across the country.
She said the BBC's evidence proved that "the system was broken" and demonstrated a pull factor in the small boat crisis.
26:00
Figure caption,
Exposed: The High Street Crime Crisis
In March the BBC revealed a senior council worker had repeatedly shared with West Midlands authorities reports of children as young as 11 being sexually abused in high street mini-marts, and last month undercover reports exposed how cocaine, cannabis, laughing gas and prescription pills were being offered for sale.
One street visited in the West Midlands was described as "lawless" by an anonymous law enforcement source.
After the report, six mini-marts and vape shops on one high street in Cradely Heath, Sandwell were forced to close following an investigation by police and Trading Standards.
Earlier this year, ministers announced a £30m enforcement operation targeting high street businesses suspected of money laundering, tax evasion and illegal working.
Raids involving police, HMRC, Trading Standards and Immigration Enforcement have since taken place across the country.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg90el9236o
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said town centres had been "hollowed out" by decades of decline and "for many people, the high streets they grew up with have become unrecognisable".
BBC News has exposed organised crime on high streets across the country, revealing shops selling illegal cigarettes and vapes, selling cannabis and cocaine, enabling illegal working and suspected money-laundering.
The Conservatives and Reform said the proposals would lead to "more empty" shops, without tax relief for other small businesses.
Burnham said the measures will give councils more power to control what businesses open in town centres.
The proposals come as the prime minister embarks on a tour of the UK, with Downing Street saying he will be in "listening mode" during his visits as he works on a "10-year plan to bring back hope".
The plans announced by the government include:
Changes to planning law which would mean every new shop selling e-cigarettes, or vapes, would need to apply to their local council for permission to open (England only)
Tightening the definition of a vape shop to prevent businesses avoiding the rules by describing themselves as a general convenience store or retailer (England only)
Scrapping a rule known as "aim to permit", which currently restricts councils' ability to refuse new betting shops and 24-hour slot machine shops (Great Britain-wide)
Requiring planning permission for new adult gaming centres, which offer 24-hour access to gambling machines (England only)
New powers to extend closure orders for mini-marts and vape shops found to be selling illegal tobacco or up to twelve months, something previously proposed by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (England and Wales)
The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that at least £1bn of criminal cash is laundered through high street stores in the UK each year through businesses connected to the sale of fake goods, tax evasion, illegal working and illegal drug supply.
Burnham said "the rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services, and community spaces that people are crying out for".
He added: "That's not on. I said we would improve Britain's high streets, and that's exactly what we are starting to do.
"We're putting communities back in control and giving local people a real say over what opens on their high street."
Two men stand outside a vape shop called Top Store
In response to the announcement, Conservative shadow communities secretary Sir James Cleverly said "once-treasured shops" have been replaced by a "smattering of rogue operators".
But Sir James said increases to business rates by Labour had left "empty units for whoever is left standing to fill".
He said: "Unless the government takes steps to support the high streets and hard-working businesses, Labour's increases in planning regulation will just mean more empty and boarded up shops."
For the Liberal Democrats, home affairs spokesman Max Wilkinson said Burnham's plan "could go up in a puff of smoke" unless he toughens up powers to "properly crack down on cowboy vape shops and dodgy operators".
His calls included asking the prime minister to scrap the business rates system.
Reform UK economy spokesman Robert Jenrick said: "Until this government scraps the jobs tax, addresses sky-high business rates and provides real, fundamental support for high street businesses, this policy will only create even more empty shops on our high streets."
A Green Party spokesperson said the government's proposals "look like more inadequate tinkering and reannouncements".
They called on the prime minister to "go further and allow councils to introduce rent controls for small businesses".
The Betting and Gaming Council said it supports "tough action against criminal operator" and agrees "local people should have a proper say over their high streets".
A spokesperson for the industry body added it was "simply wrong" to suggest that betting shops are spreading "unchecked", adding around 3,000 shops have closed since 2019.
Councillor Eamonn O'Brien, who chairs the Local Government Association, said it was "positive" that councils and communities "will get a greater say on what shops and services are found on their high streets".
For 18 months, BBC News has reported on high street organised crime, including drug gangs, money laundering, child sexual exploitation reports, immigration crime and ghost directors linked to shop fronts selling illegal cigarettes and illegal vapes.
In April 2025, the BBC joined the NCA as it raided barbers, mini-marts and vape shops in response to growing intelligence reports that some of these shops were being used for money laundering and illegal working.
In May and June of last year, the team found secret underground tunnels supplying sacks of illegal cigarettes to high street mini-marts in Hull.
In July last year, mass Freedom of Information requests revealed for the first time that 3,700 illegal shops had operated across the UK.
In November, the BBC exposed asylum seekers buying and selling high street mini-marts for cash and criminal kingpins erasing £60,000 illegal working fines, and revealed a Kurdish organised crime gang operating on high streets the length of Britain.
In response, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood launched an "urgent" investigation led by the NCA, Immigration Enforcement, HMRC and police forces from across the country.
She said the BBC's evidence proved that "the system was broken" and demonstrated a pull factor in the small boat crisis.
26:00
Figure caption,
Exposed: The High Street Crime Crisis
In March the BBC revealed a senior council worker had repeatedly shared with West Midlands authorities reports of children as young as 11 being sexually abused in high street mini-marts, and last month undercover reports exposed how cocaine, cannabis, laughing gas and prescription pills were being offered for sale.
One street visited in the West Midlands was described as "lawless" by an anonymous law enforcement source.
After the report, six mini-marts and vape shops on one high street in Cradely Heath, Sandwell were forced to close following an investigation by police and Trading Standards.
Earlier this year, ministers announced a £30m enforcement operation targeting high street businesses suspected of money laundering, tax evasion and illegal working.
Raids involving police, HMRC, Trading Standards and Immigration Enforcement have since taken place across the country.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg90el9236o
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Burnham said "the rise of vape shops, betting shops and rogue operators have replaced the shops, services, and community spaces that people are crying out for".
Kn0b. Closing left right and cetre ya t1t  |
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As lief says, lumped them all together
Most of the betting shops closing will be replaced by vape shops, Turkish barbers etc Not only showing ignorance of the actual situation, but his obvious hatred of betting shops...perhaps his Chancellor might remind him of the tax generated for the government by betting shops |
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Apologies, Leif
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hundreds and thousands of betting offices are closing ...who the hell wants to open one ? What a moron.
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:)
An inner-city part of Manchester that was a bustling hub for counterfeit goods before a major police crackdown has now emerged as "Britain's vape capital". Two narrow streets in Cheetham Hill are filled with bright, colourful shopfronts with names such as Vaporesso, Xhale and The Vape Boyz. There are 51 shops selling vapes on Harris Street and Overbridge Road, something residents have said is "crazy", while a government minister has admitted it is "bizarre". The stores, which sell wholesale to customers coming from as far away as Glasgow and Edinburgh, emerged after 200 shops in the area were shut down in a two-year police operation to tackle the fake clothes trade and drug dealing. The area had been described as the UK's counterfeit capital, with hundreds of millions of pounds worth of bogus goods seized by police as part of Operation Vulcan. The crackdown saw Greater Manchester Police (GMP) make nearly 240 arrests and seize 1,050 tonnes of counterfeit items. In the years since, vape supermarkets filled with stock and large billboards advertising their wares have emerged in the area, which is near Strangeways prison. Traders have described it as "Britain's vape capital". |
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Yeah, Turkish barbers are ok then.
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All FILTH gaffs
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It is the clown work we have come to expect from the State. A demonstrable, proven failure on a local level is promoted to take his failure national.
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Cider
I was in prestwich last night which borders cheetham hill there was huge police activity and plenty of the unmarked cars heading in that direction. |
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On the original topic it’s disappointing betting shops are mentioned in the same sentence than these other establishments run by our friends from overseas.
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I was quite familiar the story of counterfeit capital, Cheetham Hill, central Manchester which is why I recalled it. I was unaware that it had morphed into the vape capital since the authorities eventually found the bottle (safety in numbers) to do something about it. A similar tale to the practically untouchable sweat shops of Leicester.
There is a strong link to the original article in my view. As the suggestion that these operations going on are outside the powers of councils is absolutely ludicrous, as is betting shops opening in spite of council objections. Obviously no idiot is wanting to open new betting shops in England anyway. I don't believe he has mentioned fried chicken shops, fast food joints or uber eats hubs. |
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It's subtle enough but mixing betting shops in this gaslighting is firm evidence that Burnham's beliefs lay firmly with those who sit on the plp back benches. Obviously anyone involved in it is fully aware betting shop numbers are in rapid decline. So it's only been included for signalling and vibe.
There is a dogma among them that 'poor' people simply cannot tolerate having a betting shop near them without succumbing to the evil of spending some of their benefits in them. Similar to not being able to walk past mars bars at a checkout. Interesting times ahead, if we weren't already aware. |
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Makes the false individual feel good,hoping that it makes him look good…..
The false individual knows the shops are dropping like flies tbh…. The false individual knows individual is a million to visit the shores during boat arrival…… The false individual has no presence,no stamp….. Reform ! Hip hip…… |
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He will fall to the knees of the French individual like the last one…..billion and counting…..
C#nt… |
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Some people have strange ways in Cheetham Hill.
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Strange puffing on vapes …..never understood the logic tbh…..multi flavour…..lol
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Very good barstool
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Changed its name barstool in 1994 I’ve yet to hear anyone not call it strangeways
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Wasn't Boddington's Brewery there as well jimnast?
What is the prison now called? |
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Chocka
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Boddingtons went in the 80s
 it’s now called Manchester prison,back in the 70/80s I played football in the blackley league the league was for some reason ran from the prison and if you were in front of the committee for what ever reason you would go to the prison ,couldn’t happen nowadays. |
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I agree he's totally not understanding the current climate of betting shops already closing, but have no problem with them disappearing or certainly reducing from the steets. Good riddance. They were once a scurge with pictures of three different shops in row in poorer areas of towns.
I appreciate there are plenty other awful types of shops on streets these days too however, but that's a wider question. |
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Incredible to think you could play sport at such places barstool,pretty sure strangeways had a team in the Wednesday afternoon league in which they would have met there match as there were some right nutcases playing in it despite the pretty high standard.
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There are so many vape shops, barbers, nail salons etc in town these days one has to wonder how they can make in money at all. Did read that some Turkish Barbers sell drugs as well but surely they cannot all be at it.
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My cricket was played in a much more traditional place woodhouses where in the years between me playing then my son playing micheal atherton started his cricket in fact opposite the ground is atherton close named after him and I still see his mum and dad in the cricket club.
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High streets have evolved, and anything convenience (food, drink) and service (e.g. nails) based seemed to survive or flourish. Not many product shops did well, that can be bought online - e.g. clothes or other equipment. Not sure why vapes are so popular (awful rubbish).
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Back in those good old days barstool you went to the barbers for a haircut and on the way out he would ask you if you wanted anything for the weekend
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Usually alongside the other downbeat types of shops as above discussed.
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Played against them jimnast, for Rufford, in the Village KO comp. Mike Atherton's younger brother opened the bowling for them, must be 25 years ago now. Still involved there and go to watch every week. Had the pleasure of meeting Mike in Mount Mangganui, NZ a couple of times. He was kind enough to chat to my wife and I for a few minutes and seemed a very decent man.
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the 'high street' debate is multi-factored. things have changed that will never be reversed. shopping centres, restricted parking, cars restricted, the internet (obviously!).
I've not been in a shop for any purpose for at least two years. It's the plp that deregulated gambling. I seem to recall new labour wanted las vegas style 24hr casinos and all sorts. I seem to recall they also completely softened up alcohol licences. I had zero interest in politics back then, but it's in the back of my mind. |
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For sure, the political views of gambling have changed too - though I think that's multi-party sadly on that, so wouldn't make much difference who was in power.
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Yes he seems a decent bloke the club won the village cup at lords in 2011 younger brother is Chris they have just secured a very lucrative sponsorship from sheridan who are famous for lifts but have now started dealing in concrete,skips and property the owner is having a house built just outside the village it’s the size of a major airport
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Only certain gambling though. Lottery, bingo, euromillions, omaze, all good.
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Yup - and gambling advertising still totally fine apparently....
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I know you are a Reform supporter cider - do you know what policy they have on gambling at all?
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Hopefully no policy as it’s pretty irrelevant in the context of what’s going on in the country/world
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I wouldn't say I was a supporter, but they are the only viable option for me currently. I know that Farage attends a lot of big race meetings, loves horseracing and a bet. And we know what he thinks about banks interfering in your activities, so I can't imagine they would be planning to do anything restrictive or invasive. Rolling things back is much more difficult, but if they actually won power I'd say they have much bigger fights to worry about. However, they do want to restructure how day to day government functions, so binning quangos will be a realistic prospect. The GC would be an easier one as nobody would miss them if they disappeared, not like the traffic lights would stop working.
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So, overall you'd say they would be less restrictive on gambling?
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