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Magistrates back council's opposition to lap dancing club
Wed 02 Dec 2009
Magistrates in Cambridgeshire have upheld a local authority's decision to block an application for a new lap dancing venue.
The owners of the Clarkson Arms pub in Wisbech had applied for permission to stage adult entertainment on the premises.
However, Fenland District Council's licensing committee blocked the application, while many local residents also voiced opposition to the plans, the Wisbech Standard reports.
This prompted the pub's owner to launch a legal appeal, but the court has chosen to rule in favour of the authority.
Fenland District Council said it was not convinced that the proprietor had come up with an effective management plan for running a lap dancing venue.
The authority also argued that the wellbeing of local residents could suffer if adult entertainment is allowed to take place in the area.
This, it stated, is partly because people in the community would be affected by noise and a possible public nuisance if large numbers of people are leaving the Clarkson Arms at the same time.
Robert Botkai, a partner at Winckworth Sherwood, described this an interesting decision that is "perhaps a little surprising".
"The wellbeing of residents is not a relevant consideration," he commented.
"The magistrates must have been satisfied that the grant of the licence would have increased crime and disorder, public nuisance or put at risk public safety or the protection of children from harm."
Meanwhile, Leeds University has confirmed that it plans to investigate the rise and regulation of lap dancing as part of a new study into the female sex industry.
The research is to be funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
