Licensing Laws
Just a general short blog about licensing laws as they are today with regards to strip clubs, strip pubs and lap dancing clubs etc.
Licensing laws vary from council to council which means some councils can veto any clubs or set a maximum number of clubs. This results in some areas with no/few clubs and others with saturation piont of clubs. Councils also set drink licensing hours again resulting a disparity ie some clubs are open till 5 and others will have to close earlier.
This system while letting local people have some control over licensing laws also results in certain individuals having what amounts to clandestine powers. From my perspective these people seem to fall into 3 categories ( religious, womens rights and old people). If you read the committee minutes you find the same objections over and over. You wouldn’t compare a chemist with a drug dealer so why compare a lap dancing club with a brothel? There is no proven increase in sexual crime or alcohol related problems surrounding strip venues so why this hysteria? The people who get involved in these anti-strip crusades seem to forget that national laws have been passed to allow strip clubs (under certain Licensing Laws and controls) so individuals putting pressure on connections in councils to stop strip clubs is unconstitutional. Bearing in mind most of these people have never been in a strip club…
Licensing Laws have had a shake up in the last few years with extended opening hours to venues licensed to sell alcohol without a rise in violent or sexual crime, and strip clubs are much better regulated and controled than your local huge Chain pub or night club.
My point in writting this blog was to say that a small minority of anti strip activists have an unconstitutional power over the silent majority who elected polititans who passed laws allowing strip clubs. Licensing laws should not be made by people who have no knowledge of something and have made their mind up prior to any discussion…single issue close minded busy bodies would never get voted in so why do they have power over us?