Carlisle lap dancing club licence bid rejected

The firm behind the proposal said the club would be a high-end "sexual entertainment venue"

Plans for a lap dancing club in a historic city street have been rejected by councillors.

Mansion Investments Limited had applied for a sexual entertainment venue licence for a venture on Botchergate in Carlisle city centre.

The club would have been housed on the first floor of what is currently the Rewind Bar and Grill.

Carlisle City Council said the venue was "inappropriate" given its closeness to a church, homes and a cinema.

Previously home to Mint nightclub, the site is 50m (165ft) from Hebron Evangelical Church, opposite an Ibis hotel and close to the Vue Cinema.

The city council received 16 objections from residents, church leaders and community groups, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Leo Charalambides QC, representing Mansion Investments Limited, told councillors the PC Lounge club would be "discreet" and said a similar venue, Club Rouge, operated nearby.

However, councillor John Bell, chairman of the regulatory panel, said "another sex establishment would exceed what the panel considers appropriate for the locality".

"The granting of the licence would be inappropriate having regard to the character of the area," he added.