Plans for exotic dancing in the Portland Hotel, Portland Road, Hove, have been met with predictable 'fury' by local nutters.
But John Sturgeon, the joint licensee for the hotel and pub, said the main thrust of the application was to allow smokers to satisfy their habits until 4.30am, rather than turn the venue into a strip club. He added that if he does decide to hold events
they will not involve full nudity.
He said: Smoking has killed the trade and we need to do anything we can to pay the bills. We are not trying to upset anyone and if we do use it would be table dancing and it would not be regular.
Celia Barlow, nutter MP for Hove, has written to the chairman of the council's licensing committee to express her opposition: This application is utterly inappropriate for a residential area such as Portland Road. There are a large number of young
families in this area, as well as a local junior school. These clubs have no place in a community such as this. I hope the licensing committee rejects this idea for the madness it is.
City councillor and prospective Green Parliamentary candidate for Hove Ian Davey lives near the venue. He said: Local residents are both shocked and scared by this move from the pub to set up a pole and lap dancing establishment on their doorstep.
Whilst this is a generally peaceful residential area, residents like many others in the city are suffering increasingly from sleepless nights as a consequence of ever later licences.
Residents have gathered more than 50 letters and a petition with 150 names objecting to the proposals.
If the licence is granted, it would become the sixth venue to hold exotic dancing in the city. Consultation has now closed but because of opposition to the move a licensing committee will rule on the application in the New Year.
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