Consultation underway about licensing laws
Residents are being urged to share their thoughts on the how the council deals with new applications for sex entertainment premises.
The council is considering adopting new legislation, which would require venues offering lap-dancing, pole-dancing and striptease shows to operate under the same licence conditions as sex shops and sex cinemas.
The new legislation would provide the council with greater control over how many establishments there are in the borough, where they are to be located and will allow the council to ensure the applicant is suitable to hold a licence.
Councillor Ranjit Dheer, cabinet member for Safer Communities, said: “We need to carefully consider the views of the public and businesses on whether we should make any changes to our sex establishments policy. It is important that people have the chance to raise their concerns, support or objection to these proposals. I would urge anyone with strong opinions on the subject to respond to the consultation.”
These premises are currently licensed under the Licensing Act 2003. Under the new licensing plans, they will be known as a sexual entertainment venue. The licences would need to be renewed on an annual basis, at which point residents would have the opportunity to raise any concerns or issues.
To complete the survey and for more information, log on to www.ealing.gov.uk/consultations. Alternatively contact a regulatory services licensing officer on 020 8825 6655. Paper copies of the draft policy are also available on request. The consultation closes on Tuesday, 19 October.
October 6 2010