Councils hail new lap dancing curbs
Changes to the way lap-dancing clubs are licensed are a "victory for common sense", council leaders said today.
The Government has confirmed new rules which will allow councils to set a cap on the number of lap-dancing venues within a particular area, or insist on none at all.
Councillors will also be able to consider a wider range of objections from local people, such as whether or not a club is in keeping with the local area, or too close to a school or place of worship.
The restrictions will be implemented on 6 April.
Existing lap-dancing clubs in areas that adopt the new powers will have to apply for a new sex establishment licence within the next six months and face closure if the council decides not to grant one.
It followed lobbying by the Local Government Association (LGA), which cited a "loophole" in the Licensing Act that put lap dancing clubs in the same category as bars and cafes "rather than allowing councils to consider the particular nature of the venue".
The LGA hopes the move will "stem the tide" of new openings, particularly in suburban areas, It claims numbers have more than doubled since 2004 to over 300.
Cllr Chris White, chairman of the LGA's Culture, Tourism and Sport board, said: "The changes to the licensing laws in 2003 were intended to give local people more of a say on how pubs and clubs are run in their area, but where lap-dancing venues are concerned councils and local councillors have often been prevented from acting on people's wishes.
"Parents' concerns about what their children might see during their walk home from school and neighbours' feelings about the reputation of their local area are very valid worries which councils wanted to be able to respond to.
"The existence of a large number of lap-dancing clubs in a small area does have consequences for people who live and work there. It is a victory for common sense that councils will now be able to take the existence of other such venues into account when considering new applications.
"This change in the rules surrounding the licensing of lap-dancing clubs is a boost to local democracy. It puts the power to shape an area back in the hands of the people who live there."
