Diamond lapdancing club in Bath Road, Cheltenham given permission to open
| Posted: February 07, 2014
The plan to transform Voodoo night club has angered local residents
A lap dancing club has been given the green light to open in Cheltenham despite fierce opposition.
Bath Road Property Limited applied to the borough council for permission to transform Voodoo night club in Bath Road into a gentlemen’s club which will be called Diamond.
Close to 200 residents wrote to the authority to express their disgust at the plan.
But the application was rubber stamped by the council’s licensing committee today by five votes to three, with howls of fury emanating from the public gallery when the decision was announced.
The club will be allowed to open between 10pm and 4am seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.
Councillors sitting on the committee were reminded they were not allowed to judge the application on moral grounds.
Much of the criticism of the plan has centred on the idea that “alcohol-fuelled” and “sexually charged” patrons of the club could wreak havoc when they leave the premises.
Councillor Garth Barnes (LD, College), spoke against the plan.
He said he feared people could be "accosted by young men fuelled by alcohol and emotion".
"They could do something," he said. "I don't know what."
“These residents are not alarmist: They are deeply concerned about the nature of this area.
"We are going to turn this area into a sleazy mini-Soho."
However, Andrew Woods, the solicitor for the applicant, described the location of the lapdancing club as “eminently sensible” and said there is “not a single piece of evidence” to support claims like Mr Barnes’.
"We do not accept at all that any of the suggestions regarding public nuisance are supported by any evidence whatsoever,” he told the committee.
"There is no evidence that venues of this type lead to any level of nuisance or disorder at all.
"Those suggestions are unsubstantiated."
He added: "The suggestions about sexually frustrated customers are completely without foundation."
The club expects to host between 75 and 100 customers a night while Voodoo currently attracts between 300 and 400 people.
Bill Wratten, who lives in College Road, spoke on behalf of the 193 residents who objected to the council.
He told the committee: "Those who are fuelled by alcohol and are sexually aroused will want to go further.
"Once that happens it will be too late to say ‘we got that wrong’.”
Meanwhile, Captain Steve Smith, commanding officer of the Bath Road branch of the Salvation Army, opposed the plan and he was furious at the decision.
“Five councillors have just lost their seats and it is a disgrace,” he said.
“The fact that moral objections cannot be taken into account is ridiculous.”
Nigel Blair, commercial director of Bath Road Property Limited, said: “We would like to thank the committee for granting the application.
“We will continue to work with local residents to allay any fears they may have about the granting of this application.”
15 comments
The fact that moral objections were not taken into account in itself is utterly ludicrous. The fact that it's been given the go ahead despite so much opposition just speaks volumes about Cheltenham Borough Council. It's such a shame they don't make a stand for the town of Cheltenham, and instead they let it be tarnished and brought down by this sleazy, seedy club.
Anybody knows when they are planning to open?
Just what part of "tacky" does Cheltenham Borough Council not understand??
Opening at 10pm?? My husband is asleep by then, doubt he'll be going lol
To slypandemia - I stand by the words I wrote. You are right, how can any woman hold men in high regard when men continue to use sexual services of all descriptions and types, yet pretend they are faithful to their partners/wives etc? All these sexual services advertise discreet billing, absolute discretion from the prostitute etc etc. If it so harmless and the men are not betraying their partners why then would they need discreet billing and discretion from prostitutes? The truth is that if the tables were turned and women behaved in this fashion, men would be up in arms and totally unaccepting of it, yet women are supposed to shut up and put up. Well not me. I am not going to bother with men anymore. There is saturation of sexual services offered to men on phones, computers, magazines, lap dancing venues, the list goes on. And the men who use them most likely have unsuspecting partners who naively believe theyir men are monogamous. Ha ha. Women need to take a good hard look at hat is all around them and the men who share their lives. It isn't always someone else's husband using sexual services. Women should wake up and stop being so naïve.
It sounds like barbaramike does not hold her male relatives in high regard: "the customers who go in there ... are all inhumane pigs" "The customers ... are everyday men, your partners, husbands, brothers, sons." As for the suggestions of havoc being wrought by "alcohol-fuelled" and "sexually charged" patrons of the club, I think you will find that that description fits 99% of the people in town on a Saturday night anyway.
Yet another typical result in favour of degrading and disrespect for women. I suggest that the councillors who put this through are the same middle age men who will be using this pimping service so called lap dancing, they will be the first though the seedy doors no doubt, that's why they agreed with it, and the solicitor too no doubt. There is no hope anymore for women and girls to be respected by males. Women and girls are the product that is sold and men continue to take advantage of their status and disrespect and degrade females ans profit from the sale of female flesh. It makes me sick. The solicitor who promoted this brothel, for that is what it is, and the men who pimp the women in there, the customers who go in there to get sexual gratification from strangers are all inhumane pigs with no regard for females as human beings at all. Women might as well give up any hope of having a normal relationship with a man that is monogamous because there are females for sale everywhere for sex. How can any woman trust any man in this day and age? Babestation on the tv, pornography absolutely everywhere, escort agencies of sexual intercourse in magazines and numerous websites offering women for sale. Apparently prostitution is illegal, yet this is a complete nonsense and these venues have private rooms where men go to have fellation performed on them and ************. That is prostitution. But the authorities turn a blind eye as half their staff are probably the customers. Where do ordinary women fit in to all of this? The customers of all these sexual services aren't men with two heads or freaks, they are everyday men, your partners, husbands, brothers, sons. Wake up women and stop putting up with this betrayal. I believe there is no hope for women anymore. We might as well give up on men altogether.
I love the way one Councillor, interviewed for Radio Glos, stated that he didn't agree with it......but, get this, he didn't vote!!!! Well, Mr Councillor, if you DON'T agree with something, then you SHOULD VOTE against it! Not sit on the wall about it and expect others to do the leg work!!!
tim - the argements against were mostely moral or subjective. if the protestors had valid 'planning reasons' to complain then they would have been given the floor surely. It would appear though that the planning process is flawed and that moral/subjective issues SHOULD be taken into account as the results alwasy affect PEOPLE and yet appear only to beneft the developers. Same old Same old
Off you go fun police off to your next protest....who cares..it'll close by next year.race week is only once a year.