Holbeck legal red light zone 'not a permanent solution'

Numbers fluctuate, but 12-15 women usually work in the Managed Approach area each night

A legal red light district in Leeds is "not a permanent solution" to the issue of street sex work in the city, a council meeting has heard.

The Managed Approach (MA) area in Holbeck allows sex workers to operate without fear of prosecution.

A council meeting on Wednesday was told the scheme was "not ideal" but improvements had been made.

School pupils living near the MA have told the BBC they had been propositioned for sex.

At the Leeds City Council meeting, a motion was put forward by Conservative councillors calling on the Labour-led authority to look for an "exit strategy" to end the MA, the BBC's Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

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Presenting the motion, which was later rejected, councillor Amanda Carter told the meeting: "We now have evidence of how it has worked in practice, and the direct lived experiences of the local communities.

"It's only a matter of time before something terrible happens to a child."

What is the managed red light zone?

Dubbed Britain's first legal red light zone, the "managed approach" to street sex work in Holbeck has been the subject of considerable debate since it began in 2014.

It was set up to try to control the trade and has allowed street sex workers to operate freely in the area without fear of arrest between the hours of 20:00 and 06:00.

Local residents have held protests in the past, claiming the area was plagued by anti-social behaviour.

Labour councillors told the meeting that recommendations made in a July 2020 independent review were being acted upon.

Councillor Julie Heselwood said: "We all acknowledge the managed approach is not ideal. It is important we acknowledge it is not a permanent solution either.

"But it is the solution we need at the moment, and the solution that is making things better."

Councillor Carter said: "You have had six years to sort this out and you haven't.

"Stop shouting to the world about how good the managed zone is, stop pretending it works and stop messing about with people."

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