Council refuses licence for lap dance club

Lambeth Council has thrown out an application for lap dancing to take place at a venue located in a residential area of Brixton, London.

The venue has been offering sexual entertainment for the last few years but applied for a fresh licence under the new licensing regime. This regime provides more powers to councils to decide whether sex establishments are suitable in a particular area.

During the time that it has been open, several complaints have been made about noise emanating from the premises. At last night’s hearing one resident explained that seeing customers enter and leave the club, and seeing girls employed by the club standing outside the entrance on their breaks, made returning to her home an uncomfortable experience.

The Christian Legal Centre supported a local resident who voiced the concerns of many others that such a venue was inappropriate in the area and that the application should therefore be refused. The Council received many letters of objection and a petition voicing the concerns of the local community.   

Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said:

"We're delighted that Lambeth Council has refused to grant a licence to this venue, which has already been a blight on the local community for a number of years.

"If  you wish to resist a sex establishment application, please contact the Christian Legal Centre. We will support you. After achieving many victories this year, we are confident that more successes are possible".

You can download a guide to resisting sex establishments here >