Survey finds fierce opposition to lap dancing clubs in Cheltenham, councillors set to vote on possible ban
| Posted: September 05, 2014
Should lap dancing clubs be banned in Cheltenham? That's the question councillors will be considering today
Overwhelming opposition to lap dancing clubs in Cheltenham will pile the pressure on councillors as they meet to discuss the possibility of banning the venues today.The borough council has been asking people if they want a limit set on the number of sexual entertainment venue licences granted in the town - with zero an option. And the message garnered from a lengthy consultation process couldn’t be clearer.More than 90 per cent of people who filled out a questionnaire said they do not believe it is acceptable to have a lap dancing club anywhere in Cheltenham.A similar number said the borough council should impose a limit on the number of licences it grants with the zero option – which would effectively mean a ban on all permanent lap dancing clubs – the landslide winner.
The consultation was prompted partly by the level of public outcry to an application to open a lap dancing club in Bath Road; an application which was granted by the borough council earlier this year. Today the authority’s licensing bosses will meet in the Municipal Offices and they will be asked to recommend a way forward on the issue.
Captain Steve Smith, commanding officer of The Salvation Army in Cheltenham, was a vocal objector to the Bath Road plan. He said: “It would be great – and it would be really good for the council – if they took this opportunity to listen to the results of the consultation which they have carried out. “They have asked the people and the message is really clear and therefore the decision ought to be straight forward.”Captain Smith said ignoring the results of the consultation would mean confidence in democracy being “left in tatters”.
There were 174 responses to the sexual entertainment venue questionnaire as part of consultation as well as a petition advocating a ban with more than 1,100 signatures.
Councillor Garth Barnes (LD, College) fought the initial plan for the lap dancing club in Bath Road and he said he is “not surprised” by the strength of opposition to the venues. He also believes the strong message from consultation paints a clear way forward for the council. He said: “It is hard to see how they would come to any other conclusion than recommending a zero limit. “I personally think that would be the right way forward.” Carmine Di Liso who runs Fantasy gentlemen’s club in Bath Road said his club has received a “very good reaction” and has been completely trouble free.He said: “We have had no problem with the community. We have had local people criticise us before and they have come in and changed their minds.”
5 comments
So a tiny handful of the population being less than 1% of the local population push through their misguided moral agenda and this is obviously overwhelming. The shoddy writing of the journalist involved saddens me and the rest of Britain would laugh at how this is being dealt with.
Ah, good. In a recent NATIONAL survey 75% people voted to legalise marijuana, or had no feelings against it, so by the same logic soon you'll be able to buy weed at Tesco. http://tinyurl.com/kuxvhmz
I was not asked, and no one I no was asked. I have not heard of any public out cry accept for a few residents and Salvation Army, who do not speak for me. Can we have the numbers of those who were asked, and why was this survey not put out to the whole of Cheltenham and not just a select few. So this is local democracy at work, typical Lib/Dem , I bet Mr.Steve Smith and his band had a survey form. The Liberals should take Democrats from their title.
I never saw the survey any where? Was it an invited audience? Was it done on a street corner?Was it sent out to all the town's population? Then the results are announced as 'Overwhelming Opposition'! Overwhelming opposition from people who probably don't go out at night or live some distance from the town centre?
174 people out of a population of over 100,000 in Cheltenham could be bothered to fill a survey in, that's a huge cross section of society right there.