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Sex and raunch crackdown in Brighton (From The Argus)
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Sex and raunch crackdown in Brighton
10:30am Saturday 19th June 2010
A crackdown on sex and raunchy behaviour has been unveiled.
Brighton and Hove City Council is looking to introduce strict quotas to ban any more sex shops and lap dancing clubs within the city’s boundaries.
City bosses believe the new powers will give local people a greater say while promoting sexual equality.
But critics have warned the review could signal the end for Brighton and Hove being a “cheeky tourist destination”.
There are also fears the crackdown will impact on nightclubs and the Fringe festival, which brings millions of pounds into the city’s economy every year.
The report, which will be discussed by the council's licensing committee, recommends lap dancing clubs should be upgraded from “public entertainment” centres to the same category as sex shops.
It states no more than the three current lap dancing clubs should be allowed in the city.
The plans also set maximum appropriate numbers set for sex shops, which includes two in St James’s Street, two near Brighton station and one in Hove.
Officers state there should be no more anywhere else in the city.
The council drafted a paper in preparation for the Policing and Crime Act, which is due to start in May.
Luminar Leisure, which operates Tru and Oceana nightclubs, has raised fears with the council about whether any new legislation will affect its podium dancers.
Burlesque dancers and some Fringe acts could also be affected.
The Home Office has confirmed these applications will continue to be dealt with on individual cases.
Denise Cobb, chairwoman of the council’s licensing committee, said: “We welcome the new legislation which will give us tighter controls to limit the number and location of lap dancing clubs.
“We are currently consulting on a draft policy to cover lap dancing clubs and people are welcome to give us their view to help shape this.
“The consultation period runs until the end of August.
“At present there are three lap dancing clubs in the city. We are not expecting an influx of applications for new venues, but by drawing up a new policy we will be ready to deal with any applications if and when we receive them.”
The Argus contacted the three licensed lap dancing clubs in the city but none were available for comment.
The proposals will be discussed by the licensing committee on Thursday.
If approved they will go out to a 12-week consultation process.
Council officers hope the first applications under the new scheme will start to be heard from May.
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Your Say YourArgus
mtmoocher, Brighton says...
10:36am Sat 19 Jun 10
dixie normous, brighton says...
10:53am Sat 19 Jun 10
dixie normous, brighton says...
10:55am Sat 19 Jun 10
chipmunk77, Btn says...
12:08pm Sat 19 Jun 10
dixie normous wrote:Have you seen who wrote the article, maybe it's Tim Ridgway? lol!
nice to see jo wadsworth adding her personal pics to the piece too, well done jo.
Brightonscouse2, brighton says...
12:23pm Sat 19 Jun 10
PeteBrighton, Brighton says...
12:31pm Sat 19 Jun 10
Patrick Mustard, Craggy Island says...
12:44pm Sat 19 Jun 10
She doesn't look like she works in one of the town's three sex shops and seeing as she has a fag in her hand, she can't be a lap dancer at work.
I assumed from the picture and the headline that the council were going to have a crack down on the huge number of knocking shops that openly advertise in town but no, they are just going to after lap dancers and old men who fancy a **** in the privacy of their own home.
monty sidewinder, brighton says...
12:57pm Sat 19 Jun 10
Baldseagull, crawley says...
1:13pm Sat 19 Jun 10
My view was very nice thankyou. Hourglass is my preferred shape.
workingmama, Brighton says...
1:14pm Sat 19 Jun 10
Skirts barely covering their backside, blouses far too tight looking worse than a $2 hooker with behaviour to match.
MikeyA, Hassocks says...
1:22pm Sat 19 Jun 10
fretlessbass, Camberley says...
3:23pm Sat 19 Jun 10
Sussevingian, Burgess Hill and Seattle says...
4:13pm Sat 19 Jun 10
ssilkystone, brighton says...
5:08pm Sat 19 Jun 10
yorkie44, Woodingdean says...
5:24pm Sat 19 Jun 10
Brightonscouse2 wrote:I agree. What hypocrites the councillors are. The send their "outreach workers" to Duke's Mound to make sure the participants in the outdoor sex are following safe sex rules and working with their partners "the police" they have agreed that the police ensure that the sex activities are protected from being attacked. The area is littered with rubbish and condoms. They allow this and then want to stop a well controlled club. They are utterly nuts.
And will there be a crackdown on the goings on at Duke's Mound by any chance or is it not classed as 'sex or raunch'?
Rita Snatch, brighton says...
6:54pm Sat 19 Jun 10
B&B's and hotels would suffer if this was restricted with the implication of any control on the 'sex'industry. Clubs would suffer and some may have to close; clubs like Oceana and Revenge which rely upon occasional 'cheeky mild sex shows' to attract more customers and therefore pay its workforce a welcome wage.
Brighton would then lose its reputation as being a Metrosexual City with negative results.
It is all very good having wonderful eating establishments but food is just the start of a good night out; restricting our pleasures that follow food and drink would be the start of a death sentence on Brighton & Hove. Unless the Council are happy to have residents and businesses that don't contribute to their Rate income due to our low incomes!
gorblimeyguv, Brighton says...
7:05pm Sat 19 Jun 10
"Meers working together with Brighton and Hove Council".
Take a look at their vans! I think the artwork should more correctly state "Brighton and Hove Council working together with Meers.
barleydevil, Tarring Near Worthing says...
7:11pm Sat 19 Jun 10
ssilkystone wrote:Ok so stop the tourists from coming to Brighton and see just how many jobs that will go through this totally mad idea. If you live on the coast then tourism is the main source of income. Instead of slagging off the people that bring income to your City think about the small minded people and the scum living in Brighton. You have a choice to live there so if you don't like then go and live some that has no tourists
Ban the tourist industry altogether and bring in some jobs that pay more than min rate, anyway when you ban something from being out in the open it simply goes underground and into the hands of those who do not care about laws, well done Tories ban Fun.
Morrissey, Brighton says...
8:27pm Sat 19 Jun 10
It is sadly just another Mary Mears idea to try and turn lively, fun Brighton into another Tunbridge wells, perhaps we should make people where overcoats on the beach as well? People might see a bit of flesh otherwise!
Cass, Brighton says...
10:59pm Sat 19 Jun 10
You have to wonder what they do in their cozy offices all day if this is the garbage they can come up with. It isn't as if the town in crawling with sex shops or clubs.
Will they extend their ideas to gay pride when all the exhibitionists arrive with their thongs, rubber and outrageous outfits. There's more sex on display that day than at any other time and you don't have to go looking for it. Of course, money is brought to town that day so I guess it's ok then.
And no, I have no objection to gay pride, just the council who operate by double standards. Again they forget who pays their wages.
Nyberg, Ystad says...
11:18pm Sat 19 Jun 10
Cass wrote:You took the words right out of my mouth.
gorblimeyguv, How right you are, :-) You have to wonder what they do in their cozy offices all day if this is the garbage they can come up with. It isn't as if the town in crawling with sex shops or clubs. Will they extend their ideas to gay pride when all the exhibitionists arrive with their thongs, rubber and outrageous outfits. There's more sex on display that day than at any other time and you don't have to go looking for it. Of course, money is brought to town that day so I guess it's ok then. And no, I have no objection to gay pride, just the council who operate by double standards. Again they forget who pays their wages.
shopliftingadulteress, Brighton says...
11:21pm Sat 19 Jun 10
Gubbins, says...
7:07am Sun 20 Jun 10
ArthurD, Horsham says...
7:31am Sun 20 Jun 10
The Lap dancing clubs in Brighton are so low profiles, it's actually hard to find them.
What possible harm can more discreet establishments cause? No-one is forced to work there or visit them.
More competition might reduce their high prices.
stan bailey, brighton says...
7:36am Sun 20 Jun 10
Old Ladys Gin, Shoreham says...
8:39am Sun 20 Jun 10
It is generally believed the English discovered sex around 1963, but I reckon they made a mistake and simply stumbled upon masturbation.
TheInsider, Brighton says...
9:48am Sun 20 Jun 10
So to see the mayor 'manhandling' some tragic icon of the sex trade like something from a bygone age is much more inappropriate than if he had gone to a strip club where women choose to work in a controlled envrionment for good money. Oh and my missus has often gone out with the girls to see male strippers.
So perhaps the Tories should clean up their own smutty act before telling everyone else what to do.
rosiedoes, Brighton says...
12:31pm Sun 20 Jun 10
My dear, if you want a fuddy-duddy little city full of modestly-dressed, middle-class, WI-attending old ladies, you're in the wrong place.
Sod off up the coast, because there are plenty of characterless granny towns for you to enjoy elsewhere and I'm quite sure they'd be much more appreciative of your hypocritical conservative god complex.
I myself am straight-edge (have no involvement with drugs or alcohol of any kind, don't engage in promiscuous behaviour) and have no vested interest in the sex industry, but I do not want to see frigid old prigs trying to destroy what makes Brighton the city we love. Who even voted for this old crow, anyway?
Gee Jay, Derbyshire says...
1:35pm Sun 20 Jun 10
Tammy Flugh, says...
1:36pm Sun 20 Jun 10
Male lap dancers?
Number Six, Sompting says...
3:24pm Sun 20 Jun 10
Tammy Flugh wrote:Would they be pole-dancers then?
"while promoting sexual equality." Male lap dancers?
Seriously, a picture of a fully clad o woman putting on a garter is considered raunchy?
Serously though folks, it's not the kill-joys that get me so much as the "up-their-own-@rses" who think that having three lap dancing clubs clubs make Brighton some kind of vibrant, happening, cosmopolitan place to be. They even get excited over people riding their bikes naked, bless 'em.
Get a grip, Brighton is just an average town with delusions of grandeur. Amsterdam it certainly is not.
nicole/bob, hove says...
7:43pm Sun 20 Jun 10
contentedmummy, Hanover, Brighton says...
9:39pm Sun 20 Jun 10
VoodooGangbanger, Brighton says...
3:13am Mon 21 Jun 10
How about using resources to hunt the scumbags that do sexaul trafficing for means of prostitution? That is like the worst crime ever and instead of using laws and police resources to go after these people that peddle flesh more then often against the persons wishes you are going after consenting adults and adult venues, since these shops are not illegal or even immoral in this age capitalism should dictate the supply and demmand of sex shops, Not local goverment, they are just meddlesome.
sutitigi, hove says...
8:31am Mon 21 Jun 10
Gubbins, says...
8:35am Mon 21 Jun 10
Peteinblack, Bath (ex-Brightonian) says...
8:49am Mon 21 Jun 10
New government; same old hypocrisy.
Gubbins, says...
9:37am Mon 21 Jun 10
Peteinblack wrote:Nothing whatsoever to do with politics. Just simple human morals that separate us from animals.
If Labour was doing this, the Tories would be screaming 'nanny state' or 'men-hating kill-joy feminists' ! New government; same old hypocrisy.
Gubbins, says...
12:41pm Mon 21 Jun 10
Brian 9 Sewer wrote:That tells me Croydon is better run. Brighton is only providing immoral sex services for the minority of Croydon's immoral element. If that's the policy in Brighton, tell everyone and they will flock from all over Europe !!! At least then Brighton will be able to drop that phony pretence about being 'family orientated'.
Punters from croydon are always heading our way ha ha
She-Ra, Princess Of Power, Brighton says...
2:33pm Mon 21 Jun 10
stan bailey wrote:I would suggest it is the punters who are exploited. If men are stupid enough to fall over themselves to hand over great big wads of cash to see a bit of flesh, more fool them!
I am usually very disparaging of the council, however this time I think they are right, I cannot believe all these years of feminism that women are still being exploited as objects for men to regard as sex objects..Sex frequently brings disease, cheating and misery - the fun bit is often hyped up
The women work in a safe, controlled environment for good money. If they were being pimped out it would be another story, but they're not. It is their choice to do that and quite frankly if I had the body to do it I would too! Talk about money for nothing...
I cannot understand why this is an important issue for the council when there is so much else that needs sorting out first.
If there was no demand for these places they wouldn't get any business and would soon shut down. Personally I couldn't care less how many there are as long as they're well controlled.
Why do they impose limits on 'raunchy' (LOL) places but it's ok to have a town that is literally overrun with supermarkets?!
She-Ra, Princess Of Power, Brighton says...
2:37pm Mon 21 Jun 10
Gubbins wrote:It's a very subjective issue. You find Brighton sordid and seedy, others do not. I didn't even know there were that many lapdancing clubs here and I've been here 5 years.
Like it or not Brighton has become a sordid and seedy place. In too many parts of the city little more than a basic animal culture exists towards sex. Well done to the Council for having the basic courage to address this issue. Yes..yes...I can hear the gay community, prostitutes, pimps etc..etc.. sharpening their highly developed intellectual skills to write a damming reply to my narrow mindedness, oppressive attitude etc.. !
I have never experienced this 'basic animal' culture of which you speak, where can I find it? Sounds like fun :P
Just because some people's idea of fun isn't your own doesn't make it bad, good, wrong or right etc etc.... I'm curious as to what you've experienced to make those comments?
Gubbins, says...
3:21pm Mon 21 Jun 10
As you accurately say "it's a very subjective issue" For that reason I stay out of Brighton as much as possible. I do however think the Argus is right in raising the subject for public debate. Nothing like diverse opinions for a proper debate.
ibiffed boko, hove says...
4:50pm Mon 21 Jun 10
Gubbins wrote:the only thing "better run" from croyden is the rail service!
Brian 9 Sewer wrote:That tells me Croydon is better run. Brighton is only providing immoral sex services for the minority of Croydon's immoral element. If that's the policy in Brighton, tell everyone and they will flock from all over Europe !!! At least then Brighton will be able to drop that phony pretence about being 'family orientated'.
Punters from croydon are always heading our way ha ha
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TheInsider, Brighton says...
10:33am Sat 19 Jun 10
They have gone completely mad.
Why not start banning thuggery, students and youngsters being so drunk they urinate and vomit everywhere and create havoc and violence.