Lap dancing clubs could be banned from Bournemouth in a repressive review of the borough's sexual entertainment policy.
The possibility of strip clubs being moved out of town or to some sort of industrial estate was mooted during a council discussion on the venues.
Cllr Andrew Morgan, chairman of the licensing board, has asked council officers to examine relevant case law before the authority puts its ideas out to public consultation in the coming months. He said:
If we do decide zero is the right number for SEVs (Sexual Entertainment Venues) we need to have clear reasons why we are doing that or else we leave ourselves very vulnerable to challenge.
If zero is the number for the town centre -- is there any other part of the borough that we think would be suitable? Perhaps some sort of industrial estate or something out of town?
Morgan claimed that the authority was not taking a moral view ...BUT... that the changes would be made on the basis of considering the locality and how the borough is shaping up .
Less concern was expressed about discreet sex shops which are subject to strict regulations restricting what can be displayed outside. Moragan moralised:
What we want to avoid is children walking by saying 'mummy, what is that?' On the SEV side it might be harder for a parent to answer a question like that.
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Spearmint Rhino lap-dancing club in Bournemouth has been granted a new sexual entertainment venue licence, despite claims it exploited customers.
