Labour giving local communities greater powers to challenge lap dancing clubs in their area

Local communities across the East of England will soon have greater powers to challenge the number and location of lap dancing clubs in their area, the Labour Government has announced today.

For the first time, local people will be able to oppose an application for a lap dancing club on the basis that it would be inappropriate given the character of their local neighbourhood.
From the 6 April 2010, local authorities will be able to demand that lap dancing clubs register as sex establishments.

Labour’s Home Office Minister Alan Campbell MP said:

"Many people have told us they don't want a lap dancing club in their neighbourhood and feel that the existing legislation does not adequately take account of their concerns.

"From April these important reforms will give local authorities the powers they need to respond to the concerns of local people regarding the number and location of lap dancing clubs in their area."

Local authorities who adopt the new powers will also be able to impose a wider set of conditions on a licence and set a limit on the number of clubs they feel would be appropriate for a particular area.

Harriet Harman MP, Deputy Labour Leader and Minister for Equality, said:

"If people don't want to have a sleazy lap dancing club in their neighbourhood, they shouldn't be forced to have one, which is why we're changing the law so local people can object and say 'we don't want this' in our area because it's a sex establishment."

The changes follow consultation with local authorities in 2008, which identified concerns regarding the way lap dancing clubs are regulated under the Licensing Act 2003.

Today the government published the results, and its response, to a consultation on the transitional arrangements being put in place to deal with existing lap dancing clubs moving to the new regime.

To give existing venues time to comply with the new regime there will be a period of 12 months from the day the new provisions come into force locally within which clubs must apply for a sex establishment licence.