Norwich City Council Reports No Complaints Regarding Strip Clubs Over Ten-Year Period

Information obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request indicates that a local council has not recorded any grievances concerning the sexual entertainment establishments it has authorized within a city over the last ten years. Norwich City Council expressed its desire for the city to be free of sexual entertainment venues, and in September, it sought to prohibit lap dances at one of Norwich’s prominent clubs. Norwich currently hosts four strip clubs, situated on Prince of Wales Road and Dove Street, with one proprietor remarking that the council was acting “too uptight”. The council stated that although it was not demanding the closure of these establishments, any that cease operations would not be succeeded by new ones. The existing licensing regulations of the council restrict the number of such venues to four; however, the council previously deviated from its own guidelines by permitting three establishments to operate on Prince of Wales Road. Norwich City Council issued a statement asserting: “If breaches of these [licensing] conditions are found, then a range of actions can be taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of performers and customers as well as compliance with the business.” During September, the proprietors of Sugar and Spice, located on Prince of Wales Road, initiated legal proceedings against the council to contest a ruling that prohibited dancers from sitting on or straddling patrons. The objective of this prohibition was to uphold clear boundaries and prevent the “blurring” of distinctions stemming from the degree of physical interaction between dancers and customers. Nevertheless, Norwich Magistrates’ Court decided in favour of the club, following testimonies from performers who stated they had consistently felt secure in their workplace. Caroline Ackroyd, a Liberal Democrat councillor serving on the authority, previously commented: “We’re not doing this on moral grounds, but we have to think about the safety and wellbeing of our communities.” Tyrese Malik, who owns the club Entice, expressed that the council need not be “so uptight”. He further stated: “They’re creating a hostile environment. “Look at the day and age we live in – people can watch what they want and do what they want.” An FOI request submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed that the council had not received any grievances concerning sexual entertainment venues operating under its license. Nonetheless, some noise-related complaints were recorded historically between 2010 and 2012. A public consultation is scheduled to conclude in November, which aims to eliminate the assumption that additional premises should be permitted to open if the established limit has not been met. In a statement, Norwich City Council declared: “The legislation is there to allow sexual entertainment businesses to operate under licences which come with conditions attached. “The legislation gives local authorities powers to set these conditions and to look at the location of sexual entertainment venues… It includes the safety of the performers and customers and the impact of the business on the local community.” The public consultation will remain accessible until November 3 and will be reviewed by councillors “in due course”. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.