Xscape Club

A swinger's club has opened for business in a Cambridgeshire village.

The Norman Way Industrial Estate in Over is now host to Xscape Cambridge, which describes itself as "Cambridgeshire's only adult venue".

Co-owner Stewart Hobbs told the News the venue was packed out for its first night on Saturday: It is people from every walk of life. I wouldn't like to say what occupations, because it goes to the very top. It goes from solicitors to roadworkers.

But some residents of Over are inevitably worried. The village's vicar, the Rev Nutter Malcolm Raby said: From a Christian point of view, it is not something I would agree with. Traditional Christian values would hold the importance of marriage - two people in a mature relationship.

Xscape Cambridge advertises itself as over-25s only. Anyone wanting to visit the club must register for membership and pay an entrance fee. The fee is £35 for single males, £25 for couples and £5 for single females.

Hobbs told the News Cambridgeshire police are aware of the club and have paid a visit. The club has also been granted an interim licence by South Cambridgeshire District Council for drinks and entertainment.

Hobbs said: There has been a meeting of the industrial estate committee and they are not worried about it.

The reality of his swinging club is far from the image some people have, Hobbs believes. He said: 80% of it is socialising. About 96% of the people are couples. It is totally consenting adults and they come from the higher echelons.

Nutter protest is growing over a swingers club in a quiet village, ahead of a licensing hearing which could secure the venue's future.

Villagers in Over, furious at the opening of Xscape Cambridge, claim the club:

• Has brought "kerb crawlers" onto village streets
• Attracts people whose sexual behaviour is outside society's normally accepted boundaries
• Leaves villagers at risk of overhearing "undesirable" conversations among clients
• Could put our children at risk

Co-owner Stewart Hobbs insists clients at the adults-only venue, which opened on the Norman Way Industrial Estate last month, have not caused problems in the village.

A retrospective planning application for a change of use to a private members club - including bar, dance floor and rooms for sexual activities - has been made. The application is expected to be decided next month after a South Cambridgeshire District Council licensing meeting on Friday, July 18. Xscape Cambridge has so far held a temporary event notice.

Nutters claim that strangers have been seen "lurking" near their homes and have raised the prospect of paedophiles frequenting the premises.

Over Parish Council has also objected, citing the presence of undesirable persons loitering outside unit 16A and the increase in kerb-crawling.

A swingers' club has been granted a licence for late-night entertainment and drinks.

Xscape Cambridge, based on the Norman Way Industrial Estate in Over, had its application for a premises licence approved by South Cambridgeshire District Council.

But the council's licensing subcommittee only granted a licence to the interior of the unit, after hearing concerns about "potentially highly inappropriate" conversations in the outdoor smoking area being overheard by children.

The club must also ask clients to provide a passport or driving licence to gain membership. Under the terms of the licence, the police can inspect the personal details of club members, including names and addresses, on request.

A retrospective planning application for change of use to a private members' club - including bar, dance floor and "rooms for sexual activities" - has yet to be heard.

The license application was considered under the four objectives of the Licensing Act 2003 - prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance and protection of children from harm.

British morality police. Spoiling the fun of the many, on the complaints of the few

The owner of a swingers' club says a council could face legal action under anti-discrimination laws.

Stewart Hobbs owns Club Tease in Over, which was shut down last week after a raid by police and council officers.

But he is claiming victimisation and has continued running the venue, despite a closure order from police.

Enforcement officers from South Cambs District Council, along with police, were given a court warrant for a breach of planning control on the land, which they served on Hobbs.

The club has proved controversial since it opened in 2008, when villagers expressed concerns about its morality. Its owners applied for planning permission for a change of use at the building, from light industrial to private members' club with rooms for sexual activities on June 5, 2008.

The application was rejected and an appeal by the club was lost on the bollox grounds that as no public transport was available, extra car journeys in the village would disturb residents and make the development unsustainable. [Is that the best they could come up?]

But Hobbs justifiably believes he is being singled out because of the nature of his business. He told the News: They are using sustainability as a reason but what about the other businesses in the estate which have a lot more traffic? I have some gay, transsexual and lesbian clients and I have been keeping them abreast of the situation. They are looking at taking the council to court for discrimination.

I feel really victimised. Why are they going to all this trouble and the cost to taxpayers of having six council officers and two police officers coming to my club to shut me down with a warrant just for little old me? It's just got totally out of hand. The club has 2,500 members and average numbers at the venue at weekends are around 40, according to Hobbs.

A council spokesprat said: We know another appeal has been lodged with the planning inspectorate and we will follow what happens. As an enforcement notice was issued on the club, and the compliance period for that has expired, any further activity is now a criminal offence. After executing our warrant at the club at the end of July we submitted a prosecution file to our solicitors who will decide whether to take this further.

Update: Still Open

23rd August 2010. From informedconsent.co.uk

From Club Tease:

Club Tease IS still open. Oblivion is still running. The newspaper should be running a retraction saying the club is still able to run due to planning being granted.

They have had to deal with do-gooders going against all applications for planning since they opened. Morally-anal people who don't like our kind upsetting the village etc etc. I doubt it will end any time soon. There are people who won't just let dogs lay.

Club Tease is a swingers club in Over near Cambridge. It was previously named XScape, but changed for trade mark reasons.

The club has been having a hard time from South Cambs District Council.

From Club Tease:

We have had our business rates upped by 300% without notice and baliffs arriving. We have had 2 planning applications turned down and 1 appeal turned down. We have also had an enforcement notice served on us and raided by the council.

But now after 2 and a half years of fighting and £30 grand down on legal fees, it looks like we have finally won the last planning appeal and by a large margin, as the council are withdrawing prosecution, which would of been on the 6th December 2010, the same day as the planning appeal decision is announced.

So for once we look like the swingers have swung the tide of change and going legal.

Club Tease have also offered their help to any other clubs hassled by councils. (Contact MelonFarmers)

It's all over for a swingers' club which has finally closed down after a £20,000 two-year legal wrangle.

Owner Stewart Hobbs has given up his battle with council chiefs and on Friday closed the doors of Club Tease in Over.

The move came after he lost a planning appeal for the venue in Unit 16 on the Norman Way Industrial Estate.

The council had rejected two change-of-use applications, to create a private members' club with rooms for sexual activities.

Hobbs lost his appeal against the decision by South Cambridgeshire District Council planners, meaning he cannot legally operate. But he will go before Cambridge magistrates for breaking an enforcement notice after defying an order to close.

Enforcement officers and police raided the premises in August and served a closure order. But the venue continued to trade, attracting about 60 customers at weekends.

A deflated Hobbs told the News: I just cannot go on fighting any more. I have lost £20,000 in legal bills and another £80,000. Members of the club are mortified. We are all completely devastated and believe this has all come about because of a lack of tolerance about what we do.

The reason they rejected the change of use was because they said there were too many cars coming to the club. That's total rubbish. It is an industrial estate on the edge of a village which has lorries coming in and out all the time. We have about 20 cars coming on a busy night which is nothing.

I don't even know if I will go to court. I am having panic attacks. This has been a terrible ordeal and I have come to the end.