Table Dancing in Yorkshire

'Outraged' feminists have been invited to York's lap dancing club Upstairs in response to an online petition which calls for a rejection of the club's licence renewal on 30th November.

York Feminist Network have gathered 120 signatures for the petition which states:

Lap dancing clubs have no place in our community. They promote sexist stereotypes, create 'no go' areas for women and local residents, and impact negatively on the character and reputation of York as a welcoming, family-friendly city.

A York councillor, Dave Taylor, has publically stated that A council can only reject or revoke a license if it breeches one of the four 'licensing objectives' and that it is not Council policy to revoke a license based on morals.

An MP and police moralists have whinged at plans for a new table dancing venue in Middlesborough.

Proposals to turn Slam on Exchange Square near Middlesbrough Railway Station into a lap dancing club have been lodged with Middlesborough Council.

Cleveland Police have objected to the plans citing several assaults at the previous venue and bizarrely claiming that the wrong clientele would be attracted to the venue.

Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald spouted:

To class this as entertainment is ridiculous. I would wish the proprietors for something better to do with their premises. It will not be welcome by an enormous number of people - and I include myself in that. It's not what Middlesbrough needs.

Wild West Leisure Ltd has submitted the application to Middlesbrough Council to vary the premises licence which proposes the supply of alcohol from 11am to 4am daily and provision of regulated entertainment from 11am to 4am daily.  Alterations also include a new entrance, a new wall to create two rooms, removal of fixed seating and provision of booth seating to create a lap-dancing area.

The application does not include an application for a sexual entertainment venue licence. No doubt that would follow later.

Cleveland Police have objected to the application on the grounds of the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety. A police statement moralised:

Although the venue has seen an improvement it is the opinion of Cleveland Police that by the venue changing its theme and moving into adult entertainment that the wrong clientele will be attracted to the venue and issues will arise once again.

Kirklees Council covering the area around Huddersfield has become the last authority in West Yorkshire to adopt sex entertainment licensing.

Last year the council launched a consultation asking residents and councillors where they thought lap dancing clubs should be. It found that most people thought there should be none at all.

Councillors unanimously agreed to adopt the powers which will allow councillors to ban some applications and closely control where sexual entertainment venues can open.

And it seems that Kirklees has been quick to impose repressive controls. New rules forbid fully nude dancing and also ban clubs from advertising in their windows using photographs or other images which suggest that striptease takes place.

Cleopatras Lounge on Northumberland Street in Huddersfield will bear the brunt of the new moralist policy from 1st October 2015.

Harrogate's Villa Mercedes has been banned from operating as a strip club by Harrogate Borough Council.

On August 20, Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) refused to renew the club's Sexual Entertainment Venue License (SEV) license for reasons including physical contact with the dancers and allowing audience participation.

The club's operator Tobasco Leisure Ltd set in motion an appeal but have now just withdrawn that appeal when the court declined a request for an adjournment. The management was then ordered to pay £3,000 in costs to the council.

The decision means that sexual entertainment will now cease at Villa Mercedes but the club is permitted to continue selling alcohol.