Cheltenham strip club plans approved by council

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the licence

Controversial plans for a strip club to open have been approved.

Cheltenham Borough Council granted permission to Eroticats to hold events at Under the Prom at 109 Promenade for three nights during Cheltenham Racecourse's meeting in November.

The current licence only allowed them to host such activities during race week in March.

Concerns have been raised that sexual entertainment venues undermine efforts to achieve gender equality.

Under the new plans, the venue will open from 20:00 GMT until 05:00 GMT from Friday 17 November until Sunday 19 November.

Gilli Appleby, the CEO of Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (GRASAC), called on councillors to reject the licence and stand up for the safety of women and girls in the county, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Women's safety

She said: "There is evidence relating to sexual entertainment venues and there is a rise in disorder around those venues.

"That is supported by anecdotal evidence as well as your own research as a council and in terms of your own survey.

"I question how much public interest there is in the sexual entertainment venues in Cheltenham.

"We know that there is a link in terms of safety that women and girls feel because of these activities that go on in the town."

'Robust conditions'

Imogen Moss, who spoke on behalf of the applicant, said management and staff have attended courses on vulnerability, anti-sexual harassment and bystander training.

She added that sexual entertainment venues are a lawful activity.

"It is far better to have a licence for an operator that is known who operates well and works well with the council, police, environmental health and organisations," she said.

"The operator has a history of good operation and has robust conditions that they have to comply with and will be answerable if they don't comply with the conditions.

"Not enabling sexual entertainment venue's licences can stigmatise workers and make it harder to maintain and enhance performers rights and could disproportionately have an impact on the livelihoods of performers and predominantly female employees."

The committee voted unanimously to approve the licence, and chairman David Willingham told objectors that the council takes the safety of women and girls seriously.