Leeds lap dance club's bid for renewed licence faces objections

Support after Rape And Sexual Violence Leeds (SARSVL) has submitted a letter to Leeds City Council opposing an application for a licence renewal at Silks on Sovereign Place in Leeds city centre.

The licence renewal bid will be considered at a meeting of Leeds City Council’s licensing sub committee at Leeds Civic Hall from 10.30am on Tuesday April 19.

Silks, which has operated at the site for a number of years, propose to open a nail salon at the club during daylight hours.

Leeds operates a maximum of four sexual entertainment venues at any one time.

In a high profile change of its regulations in 2013, the council put a cap on the numbers of lap dancing clubs it would allow at any one time. The city centre previously operated seven such venues.

A letter to the licensing committee states: “Support after Rape and Sexual Violence Leeds believes Leeds City Council missed an opportunity when it introduced its policy to limit such clubs in the city centre to four.

“It should have adopted a Zero Tolerance of Sex Establishments policy.”

Three members of the public have also objected and one letter of support has been submitted.

Leeds City Council’s policy states that “the appropriate number of sexual entertainment venues in the city centre is a maximum of four, providing these premises are not near properties with sensitive uses or in sensitive locations”.

Areas designated as “sensitive” can include schools, residential neighbourhoods, women’s refuges, cinemas and places of worship.

The licence renewal application has been made by Red carpet Leisure (Leeds) Limited.

The application form asks the question: “State measures to be taken to prevent nuisance to residents and businesses in the vicinity?”

The applicant wrote: “There is no interaction with residents as there are none in the vicinity.

“The usage as a gentleman’s club does not interact with businesses in the vicinity, which are generally closed by the time the venue opens.

“However, the applicant now proposes to operate the premises as a nail bar during the day to provide an active frontage which will interact positively with the other users of the area.”