COWLEY residents say they are opposed to plans for a new betting shop in Templars Square shopping centre because it could encourage more people to gamble.

Betfred submitted a betting licence application to Oxford City Council in June for a new shop in the former Cowley Centre Post Office building at 17 Upper Barr.

But visitors to the shopping centre are not happy about the proposals.

Other betting shops in the area include Betfred in Between Towns Road, and Ladbrokes and William Hill in Barns Road.

Sue Frizzell, 46, who works at the Ark T Centre in nearby Crowell Road, said: “I shop at Templars Square all the time and I think it’s a really bad idea.

“It’s going to put more pressure on people to gamble and we have enough shops like that in the area already.”

The building belongs to NewRiver Retail Ltd, which owns Templars Square Shopping Centre.

An application submitted by Montagu Evans chartered surveyors and property consultants to demolish the existing building and replace it with a single-storey building for a restaurant, public house, or takeaway was refused in 2011. This was due to issues with delivery vehicle access to other businesses via Hockmore Street and the smell of food upsetting residents in nearby flats.

The building has stood empty since 2007 and two new shop spaces on the ground floor were completed on June 26.

There has not been an application from another business to move into the second shop space.

Betfred spokesman Mark Pearson, said: “We are looking to open in the Cowley Centre Post Office.

“We are very different to our competitors and believe the shop will be successful.”

Hugh Warwick, 46, a writer from Florence Park, who shops at Templars Square, said: “My feeling is that opening another betting shop just preys on people in poverty, and everyone is feeling hard-up at the moment.

“We should be putting the new space to public good instead – I think it’s rather disgusting.”

Templars Square manager Aaron Bayliss,said: “Bookmakers like to cluster together – there’s another Betfred shop on Between Towns Road.”

The planned Betfred shop could bring seven new jobs to the area.

Mick Conmy, who works at Unipart and is a committee member of Florence Park Community Centre, said: “Naturally, I am against it.

“It would not add anything good to Cowley.”