A new rule has been approved preventing strip clubs from operating in close proximity to one another in Southampton.
Members of the city council’s licensing committee approved changes to the authority’s sex establishment licensing policy.
The move brings about the first changes to the policy, which covers sexual entertainment venues (SEVs), sex shops and sex cinemas, in over 10 years.
Councillors were told at a meeting on Wednesday, May 21, that Southampton currently has three SEVs, two sex shops and no sex cinemas.
The approved amended policy said since the introduction of licenced SEVs in 2012, the local authority had seen three as a suitable limit for the city.
It stated that even these three venues have “struggled to survive”, adding: “To avoid unwanted marketing of these venues each venue should be separated by at least 250 metres as measured in a straight line.”
Of the three existing venues in the city, the shortest distance between any two premises is around 300 metres with Wiggle in Above Bar Street and Playhouse in London Road. The other venue is For Your Eyes Only in High Street.
Speaking at the committee meeting on Wednesday, May 21, principal licensing officer Ian McGuinness said: “I believe that the three we always speak to say it is a struggle for them to survive, so I don’t think any more would be a good business opportunity for someone because there is only so many customers that use these type of venues.”
Mr McGuinness told councillors that holders of sex establishment licences have to reapply for their licence each year.
Among the “minor amendments” to the policy, officers now have delegated powers to approve uncontested licence variations when no valid representations have been received from the public consultation.
This will reduce costs the council currently incurred by having to hold licensing sub-committee hearings on all variation applications.
Other changes amendments to the dancers code to address issues around employment status and outlining additional interventions by venue management to prevent the exploitation of customers.
Cllr Sue Blatchford: “This is a new policy and I certainly welcome the 250 metre gap between premises.
“As somebody who actually sits on the planning committee, you see takeaways cheek by jowl.
“In the unlikely event, based on what has been said about the vibrancy of the business we are probably unlikely to have venues less than 250 metres, so I think actually having that in the policy is good because if units in the high street became vacant we wouldn’t want to have several sexual entertainment venues next to each other.”
