The saga over a new betting shop in Plumstead High Street appears to have reached its conclusion as William Hill has pulled out of the plans.

William Hill’s plans for a new betting shop were rejected by Greenwich Council on February 17, but approved on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate.

In its report on the decision in July, the Planning Inspectorate said that the council’s “abject and repeated failures” in its reasoning behind rejecting the application led to the decision being overturned.

This was despite protests from locals against opening yet another betting shop, with a petition being launched against it and the council reaffirming its statement that it did not approve the betting shop opening.

However last week William Hill pulled out of its plans to open the new shop in Plumstead, saying it reflected a larger direction in the UK.

Speaking to News Shopper, a spokesman for William Hill said it had nothing to do with the complaints against its opening, and that it might return at a later date to make another application for a license there.

The spokesman said: “We were granted a license on appeal but the decision was taken not to take it up and that’s a basis taken in the UK as a whole.

“There isn’t an appetite for betting shops all of the UK now. Our expansion has slowed.

“There is all kinds of legislation and things come in which means we are cutting back on the amount of betting shops.”