Sex clubs hit out over new licence charges

Under Sheffield Council’s new sexual entertainment venues licensing policy, such clubs will soon be faced with licence charges of £1,335 and renewal fees of £1,000, plus a host of tough new conditions.

Marie Calvert, who runs the La Chambre swingers’ club in Attercliffe, described the move as a “stealth tax”.

Other venues are complaining about different aspects of the policy, which is set to be approved at a meeting on Thursday.

Julian Skeens, lawyer for lapdancing club Spearmint Rhino, criticised a clause allowing advertising only within 440 yards of a venue. He said: “This would appear to be a severe restraint on trade.”

And Scores lapdancing bar said conditions such as a requirement to have a register containing staff personal details “appear to propagate an untrue image of the industry as a criminal and dishonest business”.

Sheffield Council said the new fees were a Government requirement and would only cover “reasonable costs.”