I am writing to express my disappointment and frustration on the government's revised national planning rules, which could lead to a dramatic increase of betting shop and money lenders on high streets across the country. In Hackney we have actively campaigned for a change in the law that would allow us to control the number of betting shops in an area if residents object or if there are already too many. Three times the local authority average of bookmakers already exists in our borough, and we are deeply concerned of the impact a further concentration of this type of business will have on the most vulnerable members of society and on the wider community, and contrary to the aims of the report we believe it will damage the regrowth and development of our high streets. We are appalled by these ill-thought out plans and will continue to lobby the government for a change in the law and will apply for stronger powers through the Sustainable Communities Act, which allows councils and communities to put forward new thinking on how best to improve quality of life and wellbeing in their local areas.