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Sixth strip club to open in Brighton and Hove
1:51pm Friday 21st December 2007
A landlord is planning to put on strippers because the smoking ban has killed business.
Plans for exotic dancing in the Portland Hotel, Portland Road, Hove, have been met with fury by residents.
But John Sturgeon, the joint licensee for the hotel and pub, said the main thrust of the application was to allow smokers to satisfy their habits until 4.30am, rather than turn the venue into a strip club.
He added that if he does decide to hold events they will not involve full nudity.
He said: "Smoking has killed the trade and we need to do anything we can to pay the bills.
"We are not trying to upset anyone and if we do use it would be table dancing and it would not be regular."
He added that his current licence does not allow smokers outside after 11pm.
If the licence is granted, it would become the sixth venue to hold exotic dancing in the city.
For many years just two strip clubs operated and did not offer fully nude dancing.
But new licensing laws have left the council and police almost powerless to turn down applications.
Brighton and Hove City Council is seeking a Private Bill in Parliament to limit the opening of new strip clubs.
Celia Barlow, MP for Hove, has written to the chairman of the council's licensing committee to express her opposition.
She said: "This application is utterly inappropriate for a residential area such as Portland Road.
"There are a large number of young families in this area, as well as a local junior school.
"These clubs have no place in a community such as this.
"I hope the licensing committee rejects this idea for the madness it is."
Neighbours in the Poets Corner area of Hove are also horrified at proposals on their doorstep.
City councillor and prospective Green Parliamentary candidate for Hove Ian Davey lives just 100 yards from the venue.
In the space of four days neighbours have gathered more than 50 letters and a petition with 150 names objecting to the proposals.
Coun Davey said: "Local residents are both shocked and scared by this move from the pub to set up a pole and lap dancing establishment on their doorstep.
"Whilst this is a generally peaceful residential area, residents like many others in the city are suffering increasingly from sleepless nights as a consequence of ever later licences.
"They fear that this will only worsen should this outrageous proposal to allow lap dancing late into the morning be granted."
Consultation has now closed but because of opposition to the move a licensing committee will rule on the application in the New Year.
Your Say YourArgus
Flat Foot Soozie, Brunswick Square says...
2:23pm Fri 21 Dec 07
Not perhaps the best choice of words in the circumstances!
jus, hove says...
2:54pm Fri 21 Dec 07
or is it perhaps not as simple as that? cause... effect... he's going to have to charge a fair whack for his girls given the number of different similar establishments now, with no guarantee of a return... risky to say ther least.
having said that, not sure what having schools nearby has got to do with anything, are the strippers going to be doing their work outside when the kids are on their way home? or will they be in fact working indoors once they are safely tucked up in bed... what's the problem exactly?
nimby's, I dunno, no brains sometimes... the poor wannabe green MP only lives 100 yards away? the poor thing, how will be cope?
oh and celia, is there not a ballet school on the same block as the pussycat club in hove, 20 yards away? school-strip club... sound familiar? do you actually know what happens in your constituency?
sinless69uk, Blackpool says...
3:10pm Fri 21 Dec 07
Wouldn't "mildly cross" or "peeved" be a better description?
jus, hove says...
3:21pm Fri 21 Dec 07
fury
shocked and scared
i'm sure, hmmmm.
it's a storm in a teacup, but of course Mr Marzouk needs to keep up the hostility rhetoric as there's no story otherwise - other than publicity for the struggling Mr Sturgeon of course...
Ronaldo, Brighton says...
3:50pm Fri 21 Dec 07
jus, hove says...
4:00pm Fri 21 Dec 07
jus, hove says...
4:08pm Fri 21 Dec 07
I WANT A CIGGY WITH MY PINT, uk says...
4:13pm Fri 21 Dec 07
thats why the petrol is above £1 a litre and There are sweet shops selling Stella opening up everywhere.
The Ban should be overturned and the home secretary JACKIE 'SPLIFF'SMITH should be tard and feathered.What an Idiot.This new labour cronny is costing British business billions in lost revenue and health care,rising taxes and civil injustice.
i know of a few pubs etc. that are loosing at least 2K a week in takings multiply that countywide and you have an economic DISASTER waiting to happen.WELL DONE TONY...
matt, hove says...
6:07pm Fri 21 Dec 07
James, Sussex says...
6:22pm Fri 21 Dec 07
D. Dracott, Hove says...
7:32pm Fri 21 Dec 07
john, hove says...
7:54pm Fri 21 Dec 07
bugesaov
jus, hove says...
8:13pm Fri 21 Dec 07
keep you awake at night?
corrupt your children?
cause your property to fall in value directly?
are there going to be pitched battles every night at 'closing time'?
answers to all 4? 'no' i suspect...
John, this is all about sniffy snobbery, i can imagine all the nimby middle classes around here saying in unison 'oh, heves (deliberate spelling)standards are slipping, disgraceful' when i bet none of you can point to one single factor that makes this a bad thing... it's going on behind closed doors, who the hell cares?
BAFFLED, Hove says...
9:18pm Fri 21 Dec 07
Ania, Brighton says...
12:54am Sat 22 Dec 07
PCCS, Poets corener says...
9:47am Sat 22 Dec 07
Go for it John, and sod the idiots, including Barlow who think they know best.
unt, birdham road says...
10:35am Sat 22 Dec 07
les, brighton says...
10:48am Sat 22 Dec 07
Flat Foot Soozie wrote:FLAT FOOT SNOOZIE, ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
//the main thrust of the application// Not perhaps the best choice of words in the circumstances!
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ????
???
ania, says...
5:56pm Sat 22 Dec 07
PCCS wrote:Do you honestly think people will want to come to stinking pub when they can be in the centre of town with more upmarket venues and better looking dancers.. Remember with this kind of thing comes prostitution and drugs. It' a well known fact. Many clubs have escort agencies on the side. So sod you.
If you dont like the proposed entertainment then dont go and see it. Simpe realy! as for the other reasons put foward, total snobbery by local nibies. it will make NO difference to anyone that does not frequent the the pub. Go for it John, and sod the idiots, including Barlow who think they know best.
Bill C, Brighton says...
7:39pm Sat 22 Dec 07
On 31st December 2007, it is National Smoking Day and you can smoke where ever you please. End or amend this draconian law and leave us to enjoy a pint and a cigarette in peace INDOORS.
Passive smoking kills - my a*se.
Tug Wilson, nottingham says...
11:31am Sun 23 Dec 07
Steven Kinch, Southwick says...
1:06pm Sun 23 Dec 07
If many have, we are all going to live longer and there will be more strain on the underfunded pensions and health services. Furthermore, if everyone stopped smoking I calculate that the Govt would lose something like £20billion of revenue per annum (£40 billion tax less £20 billion treating smoking related illness). Freedom of choice seems to be lacking and sadly so on a number of levels.
Bill C, Brighton says...
4:20pm Sun 23 Dec 07
I don't disagree with your sentiments on the smoking ban having not been thought throught properly by New Labour.
However, here is a correction to your calculations. Total revenue of tobacco taxation is £8.5B; cost of treating smoking related illnesses to the NHS £1.7B.
Go to www.freedom2choose.i
nfo for more information.
DaveA, London says...
1:06pm Mon 24 Dec 07
BTW my ideal would be a strip joint where I can smoke ;)
Alan Thrower, Warninglid says...
10:24pm Mon 24 Dec 07
Smoking ban stinks though so maybe not. :-(
Pat Magroin, Hove says...
2:59pm Thu 3 Jan 08
The furious residents ought to chill and give it a try before they slag it off.
Angry, Round the corner says...
3:00pm Thu 3 Jan 08
Pat Magroin, Hove says...
3:02pm Thu 3 Jan 08
Phil Macavity, Hove says...
3:03pm Thu 3 Jan 08
I understand that they might also have a street parade to open the show, time to grab your places now !
Seymour Leg, Brighton says...
3:12pm Thu 3 Jan 08
Mike Rotch, Seaford says...
3:17pm Thu 3 Jan 08
I'll have a large one !
Chris P.****, Hove says...
3:23pm Thu 3 Jan 08
Hugh Jass, Portslade says...
3:23pm Thu 3 Jan 08
Anyone else heard anything ?
Mr I. P. Freely, Worthing says...
3:28pm Thu 3 Jan 08
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b, Brighton says...
1:58pm Fri 21 Dec 07