LAP DANCING CLUB

Businessmen John Kirtland and Mark Johnson had been seeking a public entertainment licence to run a lap dancing club in the Strand, Derby but the partners have now vowed to establish the first venue in the city to offer erotic dancing at an alternative location. An application for the licence was due to be considered at a meeting of the city council’s licensing committee, but it was withdrawn at the eleventh hour.

The proposal brought a number of strong objections, mainly from neighbouring businesses in the Strand, who felt that proposals for The Strand Club would degrade the area. It is claimed that commercial agents Gadsby Orridge, landlord to several buildings in the street, had refused to allow the scheme to go ahead following pressure from other tenants.

Mr Kirtland of Appleby Magna, said that he questioned the commercial sense of the decision as the building had already been vacant for eight years. “The landlords of that property didn’t want it to be used for what we were planning,” said Mr Kirtland. “Neighbouring shop owners said that they didn’t want it in the area and got a bit worried about it. But we will have the first lap dancing club in Derby.”

Mr Kirtland said that he is setting up a deal on another potential venue in the city but is yet to confirm the location. Mr Johnson has had planning approval to use the premises as a private members’ club since 1997. That approval remains valid until November, 2002. Barry Haines, head of professional services at Gadsby Orridge, refused to comment on the matter. Kev Parr, manager of neighbouring BPM Records, said, “I wasn’t in favour of the club in principle.”

Trevor Raybould, of Raybould & Sons chartered surveyors in the Strand, said, “I totally objected to them being in the Strand because it is a conservation area and opposite places like the art gallery and museum.” Councillor Colin Brown, a member of the council’s licensing committee, said, “Without being a killjoy, I think we can leave this type of entertainment to the larger cities like Birmingham and Manchester.” Derby's not yet ready for the 21st century then?

McClusky's, Babington Lane, has applied to Derby City Council to waive a condition of its public entertainment licence to allow acts involving nudity of a sexual nature. Manager Jamie Kellett said, "We're applying for the change so that we can hold male revue shows in conjunction with the rest of the evening's entertainment. The shows would be put on for about half an hour, from about 11.30pm, and they would feature professional groups. There would only be full nudity at the very end of the show. We don't want to turn this place into a strip joint. We would get a male revue show to come in only two or three times a year. I used to be at McClusky's in Nottingham where we run ladies' nights and they were very successful."

Venues with public entertainment licences have to apply for consent from the council if they want to have strippers. The application process was introduced so the council would have control over possible lap dancing clubs, but venues that want to put on performances of a sexual nature must also get consent. There have been no objections to the McClusky's plans from the fire service, police, environmental health or - so far - the public. If the club is given permission to hold ladies' nights, it will be the fifth in Derby to be awarded a licence that permits entertainment of a sexual nature.

Recently, the Pennine Hotel, Macklin Street, was granted permission and the Aston Court Hotel, Midland Road, also won a licence on appeal after Derby City Council had turned it down twice. Other venues with such licences include Eden, a lap dancing club in Sadler Gate, and Derby's Assembly Rooms, Market Place. Councillor Ruth Skelton, chairman of the sub-committee, said, "We do have a policy that has been approved for this kind of application and so we would compare the criteria with the policy to decide if we would grant permission. The venue is in the city centre, but one of the things we'll have to consider is that the venue is near to places of worship."

Near to places of worship? The shows would be put on for half an hour, after 11.30pm and, one assumes, would be held indoors, so how would this effect 'places of worship'?

Residents have voiced strong opposition to plans for a sex shop in Normanton. DVM Enterprises, of Mackworth, has already painted the outside of 85 Normanton Road bright pink and started re-fitting the premises to sell erotic lingerie and toys. And the firm has now applied to Derby City Council for a licence to sell erotic DVDs. But members of the Muslim community have spoken out against the plans on moral grounds, as have many Christians and other residents. The city council has received 50 letters of objection and a petition of 141 signatures. But the people behind the proposal said the shop would be for over-18s only, legal and run in a responsible way. The application will be considered at a meeting of the licensing committee.

Fotik Ghafoor, of Salisbury Street, Normanton, said, "There is no doubt there is a sense of anger, outrage and inexcusable disregard for the sensitivities felt by the local Muslim and non-Muslim community. The Muslim community in Derby stands at the crossroads to make a positive contribution to the wider community by instilling the higher values. Accordingly we are using all positive avenues to ensure that such shops do not find a place in our community." Basharal Ahmcd has written to mosques, churches and residents. Mr Ahmed, of Sinfin, who worships at the Jamia mosque in Rose Hill Street, said, "We want the committee to know the community is opposed to such a venture. If a shop of this kind is introduced, it's going to antagonise thousands of people."

Mark Woodward, pastor at the New Life Christian Centre, in Normanton Road, said, "We strongly feel that a sex shop would be a massive negative to a part of the city that already has difficulties." Michael McGee, director of DVM Enterprises, said he hoped to call the shop Fantasies. "We hope to cater more for women and couples," he said. "Everything is regulated and it would be for over 18s only. We want to take the seediness away from the industry. We wouldn't be forcing anyone to come in who doesn't want to, so why shouldn't we be allowed to have a business?" Mr MeGce said that if he failed to obtain q licence to sell erotic DVDs he would still open the shop up, selling only lingerie and sex toys. One objector said, "I don't agree that sex shops should be allowed. Items should be available only in catalogues. I've got children and wouldn't want them going in."