YOU have declared war on us.

That is the defiant warning from council chiefs to owners of a “kinky hotel” in Southampton, after it officially opened its doors at the weekend.

Club Kiss hosted its grand opening event in Woolston on Saturday night despite not having planning permission from Southampton City Council.

As revealed by the Daily Echo earlier this month, the new hotel, in St Anne’s Road, has replaced the former JCT2 club, which operated in Salisbury Road, Calmore.

That was ordered to close after planning inspectors agreed that it was being run illegally as a business from a residential property.

Now council chiefs in Southampton have vowed to “fight tooth and nail” to make sure that the new venue is also shut down.

The Club Kiss website is already boasting a stacked programme of events throughout October and November, including a lower key “Greedy Girls Night”, which took place on Friday. Saturday’s “Couples and Singles Grand Opening Party” ran from 9pm until 2am, offering guests “the perfect night for meeting other couples and single males/females”.

The Daily Echo saw a handful of local people hanging around for a look at what was going on. Many of those going into the club were young men, while the women were older and scantily-clad.

The property, which was once used as an NHS rehabilitation centre, has been reinvented by owner Martin Millar, who has installed two “superbly equipped dungeons” and a “kinky room”.

The building, named Milton House, also features five themed “playrooms”, a “UV room” and a “mirror room”.

Mr Millar, 37, said: “I understand that some local residents are unhappy about the arrival of my venue in the area.

They are of course fully entitled to their opinions.

“We are simply opening a hotel which is also open to those who enjoy an alternative lifestyle. The events that we will be holding do not attract a large number of people, so will not cause any traffic or parking problems.”

He added: “The average age of those attending is 40-plus. It is not going to be youngsters who may get drunk and be too noisy.

“I will stress strongly to all our guests that at all times they should respect the privacy of our neighbours, especially when leaving the venue.

“If any of the residents would like to visit the venue and chat to me then I am more than happy to do that.”

Ward councillor Warwick Payne, the council’s leisure supremo, confirmed that Mr Millar had submitted a planning application to use the property as a hotel, which is yet to be considered.

Cllr Payne added: “By pressing ahead with this, the owners have declared war on Southampton City Council.

“It doesn’t have planning permission, it doesn’t have a sex licence and it is therefore operating in complete disregard of the council and the local residents.

“They are flying in the face of our regulations and flying in the face of people who don’t want this in their neighbourhood.

“We are going to fight tooth and nail to get the club closed down.”

A spokesman for Hampshire police said: “We are aware of the concerns over the opening of Club Kiss and are speaking with the council about it and monitoring the situation closely.

“At this moment in time it does not appear they are breaching any criminal laws or doing anything that requires them to a have a licence.

“However we will be keeping a close eye on what they are doing and will take robust action should this change.”

"It's not right to force it on us", say residents

PEOPLE living in St Annes Road were last night coming to terms with the fact that they now live next to a busy swingers’ club.

Everyone the Daily Echo spoke to described their horror – and bemusement – that their quiet city suburb was now a destination for those seeking kinky thrills.

They also expressed anger at the brazenness of opening before any licensing or planning permission had been granted.

Many of the neighbours are pensioners and said they felt intimidated by the late night comings
and goings.

One 79-year-old woman, who has lived in her home for 43 years, said dozens of cars were parked up and down the street on Saturday evening after the club’s car park was full, while taxis came and went with clients.

She said: “It has made me nervous. I can’t sleep properly because there is all this noise at night. There was music and loud voices. How long will this go on?”

The neighbourhood is also home to young families. One mum told the Daily Echo
how she visited the club website and became alarmed at the packed programme of events.

She said: “It is horrible. There are things on in the daytime when people are going past with  their children.

“I don’t want to tell people how to live their lives, but it not right to force it on us like this.”