Glasgow lap dancing golf equipment awarded three-year SEV licences in transfer to permit them to stay open

Glasgow’s three lap dancing golf equipment can keep open after licences had been handed out for the primary time — regardless of fears town might turn out to be the “intercourse capital”.

Seventh Heaven, Diamond Dolls and Platinum Lace had been granted three-year sexual leisure venue (SEVs) licences by town council on Wednesday, with the brand new regime set to come back into power later this month.

It comes after councillors determined in March that no new golf equipment can open in Glasgow however venues already in operation would have ‘grandfather rights’ and will apply for licences.  

Glasgow Violence In opposition to Ladies Partnership urged the licensing committee to reject the functions, arguing the “presence of sexual leisure venues contributes to the very existence of misogyny”.

Kirsti Hay, from the partnership, mentioned all types of “business sexual exploitation” contribute to “sustaining gender inequality”, objectifying girls and “predatory behaviour inside our society”.

Edinburgh’s licensing board voted in favour of introducing a ‘nil-cap’ coverage on SEVs from April 2023, which can cease town’s 4 strip bars from working legally and forestall new venues from opening.

Ms Hay mentioned this resolution will “afford Glasgow the chance to turn out to be the intercourse capital” as a “metropolis for stags, intercourse tourism and intercourse leisure.”

However Cllr Alex Wilson, who chairs the licensing committee, mentioned: “We’re not Edinburgh, we now have explored this to a higher element than what Edinburgh did. They made their very own choices based mostly on no matter proof periods they held.

“In Glasgow we like to think about us as being proactive and thorough in terms of making choices. I prefer to suppose that we’re pragmatic and we hearken to individuals on the market.”

He mentioned session on the “sturdy” coverage had included the violence towards girls partnership, the GMB intercourse employees’ union, dancers, membership house owners and attorneys. Cllr Wilson additionally took half in unannounced visits to golf equipment and reported “actually good suggestions” after asking “looking” questions.

The SNP councillor described the ruling as “historic” for Glasgow and mentioned no objection from Police Scotland was a “key issue”. Residents and different girls’s teams had additionally not objected, he added.

Powers to roll out a licensing regime for sexual leisure venues had been handed to councils by the Scottish Authorities in 2019. Underneath the brand new scheme, golf equipment should abide by circumstances set out in a coverage assertion drawn up by the council following the session course of.

These embrace guaranteeing indicators are “discreet” and performers are “all the time appropriately clothed when they’re outdoors the venue at any time it’s open”. Code of conducts for patrons are required, dancers will need to have “safe and personal” altering services and personal cubicles “should not be absolutely enclosed”.

All performers want to supply legitimate identification, corresponding to a passport, earlier than working on the venue and CCTV have to be in use.

Archie MacIver, the licensing lawyer representing Seventh Heaven and Diamond Dolls, informed the committee: “We do not make a choice based mostly on morals, we’re all completely entitled to have these however that isn’t one thing to issue into your decision-making as we speak, it’s on the appliance of the regulation.”

He mentioned the golf equipment had been looking for consent to hold on buying and selling after the council had determined it was prepared to permit current services to proceed working. “My submission as we speak is that there aren’t any grounds so that you can refuse the appliance,” Mr MacIver added.

Ms Hay mentioned the partnership’s objections are “not ethical, they’re based mostly on discrimination and inequality”.

The consultant for Platinum Lace mentioned: “They take the enterprise critically and so they welcome this regulation. What they hope will occur is it would guarantee there’s a consistency of fine observe throughout this space.”

Glasgow’s licensing committee, which consisted of councillors Jim Kavanagh, Hanif Raja, Eunis Jassemi, Alex Wilson, Zen Ghani and Thomas Kerr, determined to award the licences for the complete three-year interval. Golf equipment should apply for brand spanking new licences on the finish of this era.