RENEWAL of a strip club’s annual licence would breach a council’s equalities policies, say objectors. 

An application to renew a sexual entertainment venue licence for Lux – a yet-to-open strip club above the Embassy nightclub in Pevensey Road, Eastbourne – is due to be discussed by the borough council’s licensing committee on Thursday.

But it is being opposed by Eastbourne branch of Soroptimists International, a group which describes itself as working to “improve the lives of women and girls”.

In a letter to the council, it said: “We aim to help transform the lives and status of women and girls by advocating for equity and equality and creating safe and healthy environments.

“How does a strip club in the centre of Eastbourne help us achieve our goals? Ventures like the proposed strip club do little to promote the town as a desirable place to live, work and visit. Approval of such premises by the council is a totally unacceptable development in the 21st century in a town seeking regeneration and focuses on financial gain rather than the wellbeing of residents.”

The club was first granted its licence in December 2018 and is required to renew it each year. Its original licence was amended in September, as owners said its terms made it impossible to find an operator willing to take it on. These included a prohibition on full nudity and a requirement for performers to stay one metre away from customers.