UK Lap Dancing and Strip Clubs N

News, August 2016: Not later

A request to extend opening hours until 5:30am was denied by the Newcastle Council

News, April 2015: Harman weights in

Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman criticised the council licensing committee and whinged:

Councils have to make difficult decisions on planning but I was pleased to see that Nick Forbes the Labour council leader has been extremely critical of the specific location of this particular establishment - right opposite the newly re-developed Central Station -- as well as putting on record his personal view that such objectification of women is not welcome in the city.

News, April 2015: Licence granted

For Your Eyes Only Ltd have successfully renewed the sexual entertainment venue licence for the club on Grainger Street in Newcastle

The club is now planning to open at the end of May.

News, March 2015: New Application

An application has been submitted for a new club at Baron House opposite the Central Station. But the idea is being opposed by the arch PC extremist, Vera Baird, the local police commissioner.

News, August 2016: Later

A request to extend opening hours until 5:30am was denied by the Newcastle Council

News November 2018: Licence renewed

Licence renewed with little drama apart from a token objjection by the town council (the are council is in charge of licensing).

News January 2015: Licence renewed

The council have renewed the venue's licence citing no reasons to change from previous decisions. A petition against renewal received just 166 signatures.

News November 2013: Licence Renewed

Forest Heath Council have renewed the licence despite ludicrous claims that the signage somehow resembles that of Las Vegas. The council also approved the continued use of the 'Las Vegas' style sign

News November 2013: Objections

Newmarket Councillors have joined the objectors to the licence renewal of Heaven Awaits. Forest Heath Council will decide upon the renewal.

According to town clerk Isabelle Barrett, it's not as if the club is in a particularly attractive area, but the council are trying to do something about it. She said:

The High Street is currently being improved and regenerated by the council's High Street regeneration committee. Our focus is to make it an attractive centre for both residents and tourists

News December 2019: Flexible hours

Northampton Council has granted Urban Tiger extended flexible opening hours:

• 6pm - 4:30am Monday-Wednesday
• 6pm - 6am Thursday - Saturday
• 6pm - 2:30m Sunday

News January 2016: Calls for banishment

Labour councillor and feminist called for sex shops and a table dancing club on Wellingborough Road to be banished from the town centre. Thankfully the council did not take heed of the call.

A total of 14 formal objections have been sent to Northampton Borough Council protesting against the renewal of Urban Tiger's sexual entertainment licence.

A total of four responses have been sent in support of the application and Northamptonshire Police has not submitted any objection to the licence renewal.

Letters have whinged about advertising and the location in the vicinity of a schoolwear shop, Games Workshop, a Jesus Centre, women's hairdressers, a residential area and a bus stop.

However, the general manager of Urban Tiger said the objections had come as part of an orchestrated campaign by a small group of individuals ideologically opposed to the existence of lap-dancing venues. Presumably he is referring to the campaign group Object who orchestrated a similar campaign at the previous licence renewal.

The manager said there had been no crime incidents related to Urban Tiger in the past 12 months.

News May 2013: Object

Object have decided to campaign against a licence renewal for the club. The council received 76 objections or so most based on the Object template.

News April 2013: PC Police

The club is owned by a UKip election candidate. When this was revealed, party leader Nigel Farange was hauled over the coals by the PC police to check whether he was following their extremist ideology.

News January 2019: Re-opening

Currently closed but has now applied to the council to re-open.

News September 2019: Licence renewal application

Platinum Lace has applied for a licence renewal with the slight trepidation that Norwich Council have been talking about limiting the number oc clubs in town to 3 when there are currently 4.

News August 2021: Later opening

Pure Gold has been granted permission to remain open until 6am.

Norwich City Council's licensing committee unanimously agreed to extend opening times. It means the club can remain open until 6am every day, rather than the current 4am closing time.

However, people will not be allowed to enter the club after 3.45am, which is also the time when the serving of alcoholic drinks must end.

News March 2018: Licence appication approved

Pure Gold Limited, which is planning to operate in the premises currently occupied by Bar 52, has now applied to the council for a drinks licence to serve alcohol and play music, amongst other things. The venue has already been granted a Sexual Entertainment Venue licence.

The bar wants to offer lap dancing and pole dancing performances involving nudity and semi-nudity (also described as 'exotic dancing') from 8pm to 4am every day of the week.

Members of the public have until March 23 to comment on the application.

Update: The licence was approved in April 2018.

News, Jan 2018: Planning application approved

Plans have been submitted to turn Bar 52 into the Pure Gold Bar & Gentlemen's Club. The plans were subsequently approved.

Green party councillors Lesley Grahame and Ben Price have whinged about the plans, claiming that allowing the club would contradict national planning policy, which says planning decisions should aim to achieve places which promote safe and accessible environments where crime and disorder, and the fear of crime, do not undermine quality of life or community cohesion.

News April 2014: VAT adds no value

A director of Sugar and Spice lap dancing club has lost his battle with HM Revenue and Customs to exempt the hiring of private booths from VAT.

News July 2013: Consultation

The long awaited survey on SEVs in Nottingham received 1,300 responses 70% of whom rejected the nil option as proposed by the council.

The council have declared this as inconclusive but hopefully attempts to close the existing clubs and sex shops will be quietly dropped.

News October 2014: Licence renewed

Flirtz has had its sexual entertainment licence extended by a further 12 months

A local extremist group, Feminist Friends Nottingham, campaigned against the venue. The group wrote:

It is with reluctance that we object to a venue that employs women during a time when there is high unemployment and economic uncertainty; the brunt of which disproportionately affects women and children.

But of course they campaigned as vigorously as they could anyway.