Leeds throws out lapdancing bid in curb on ‘sex entertainment’

Illuminati Ventures, the company behind the Black Diamond club on New Briggate in the city centre, had applied for permission to expand the venue from two floors to four.

The proposed new venue would have been the largest of its kind in Leeds.

But Leeds City Council’s licensing sub-committee turned down the plan at a hearing on Thursday, using powers created by a new policy on sexual entertainment venues.

The policy, which was introduced following a public consultation, states that there should be no more than four lap dancing venues in Leeds.

There are currently seven in the city, including Black Diamond, although the club is not currently open.

Thursday’s meeting was the first since the policy came into force this month.

The licensing sub-committee cited the cap as one reason for rejecting the company’s expansion plan.

Members also said the venue was in a “sensitive location” and could create the wrong impression of Leeds because it sits at a “gateway” to the city.

Representatives of Illuminati Ventures told the Yorkshire Evening Post after Thursday’s meeting they were undecided about whether to take the matter further.

They added that they had not decided if they would reopen the club under the terms of the existing licence covering two floors.