THE issue of whether an amusement arcade should be introduced in Chalet Hill is to be decided by a planning inspector following an appeal hearing.

The application was refused in October, following strong criticism from local residents and Whitehill Town Council.

Chairman of the town councilÕs planning and amenities committee Basil Smith said: ÒAn amusement arcade is not the sort of shop that we want for the town. We want retail goods shops.

ÒIt would be criminal to grant the appealÓ

Applicant Mike Salczynski said he has lodged an appeal because he feels members of East Hampshire District CouncilÕs north planning committee, who rejected his application, were ÒmisinformedÓ.

He said: ÒWhen they had made the decision to refuse it, they then had to ask the planning officer why they were refusing it.

ÒI am appealing against the decision because I fulfilled all of the requirements that were asked of me.Ó

The committee refused permission on the grounds that the proposal would not support the development of the town centre and that it would have a negative impact on the residential area nearby.

In his application Mr Salczynski explained that the shop would have three sections, which would feature video games aimed at teenagers, one-armed bandits with low cash prizes and a segregated area with one-armed bandits offering a higher cash jackpot.

Case officer Ruth Harding recommended permission be granted, but Basil Smith, who spoke on the town councilÕs behalf at the EHDC committee meeting, has described the idea of an arcade as ÒghastlyÓ.

ÒTo put that sort of place in Bordon does not create the sort of image that we want,Ó he said. ÒIt will encourage youngsters to gamble and kids will be hanging about on the street.Ó

Twenty-eight letters of objection were received, raising concern over issues including parking problems.

They also raised doubts about how the applicant would enforce his proposed ban on children of school age during school hours and his proposal that children under the age of 16 be admitted only when accompanied by an adult.

Mr Salczynski addressed the committee and explained how he planned to make the enterprise into a Òfamily arcadeÓ and tried to reassure councillors and the public on the age issue.

However, the committee decided by a majority vote that the application should be refused.