Concerns as strip club moves to renew licence

Red Apple Associates Ltd has applied to continue operating at Jessop House in Cheltenham

A controversial strip club is hoping to renew its licence to open during race days in Cheltenham.

Red Apple Associates Ltd, which runs Eroticats, has applied to Cheltenham Borough Council to renew the licence to use the site of a former pub in Cambray Place.

The application is for the venue, which has up to 500 customers a night, to open to coincide with race days between October 2024 and May 2025.

But the proposals have again sparked concerns among women’s rights and religious groups in the town, including representatives of Cambray Baptist Church which is on the other side of the street from the venue and opposed the licence last year.

If the latest application is approved, the venue will be allowed to open from 08:00 to 05:00 on a number of dates throughout the racing calendar. At other times, this would change to 20:00 until 05:00 or from 18:00 until 05:00.

Cambury Baptist Church have said the location of the venue is "deeply hurtful"

Alwyn Barry, senior pastor of Cambray Baptist Church, said: "There is no change to make it any more acceptable to women who are in the area or visiting the town.

"What they hope will happen is by continuing to apply each year people will just get fed up because nothing changes and go away.

“But more and more people have become more upset about it, even though there has been no campaigning. Nobody is drumming up opposition against it but it’s rising nonetheless."

Eroticats first opened at the site in Cambray Place during Cheltenham Festival last year. It was previously based at the 2 Pigs in Church Street.

Vikki Lax, a resident who campaigns to improve the safety of women and girls in the town, said: “Outside of race weeks there is no demand for lap dancing in Cheltenham, there are no venues that operate permanently.

"Cheltenham Borough Council’s own safety surveys in 2021 and 2024 highlight how unsafe women and girls feel at night in Cheltenham during race week - 69% in the most recent survey."

Hundreds of thousands of people attended the Cheltenham Festival in March

Eroticats has been approached for comment.

During last year's hearing, an unnamed performer, who has worked for more than a decade in the industry and at 30 clubs across the UK, said: “Eroticats is without a doubt the most organised, safe and well run operation I’ve ever encountered.

"If I did not wholeheartedly believe this licensed business is safe and fair I would not be sitting here today."

People can have their say on the proposals by writing to Cheltenham Borough Council.