Public asked for views on town's strip club policy

A council is asking people to give their views on possible changes to its licensing policy for sexual entertainment venues (SEVs).

Cheltenham Borough Council says while it cannot take a moral stance over licensing SEVs because they are legal, it knows their presence splits opinion in the town.

It is proposing to bring in a limit of two SEVs in a designated area of central Cheltenham.

The council says it cannot impose a "nil limit" as venues would be able to call on a legal exemption.

The nightclub Under the Prom is regularly granted a license to operate a SEV when there is horse racing at Cheltenham Racecourse.

The borough council says it is better to have licensed venues operating legally as unlicensed SEVs pose a risk to performers and the public.

One of the proposed changes is to extend the designated area within Cheltenham to include a greater section of the Promenade.

Another change would be SEVs being confident their licenses would be renewed on application if there is no "significant change" to the character of the local area.

However, the borough council also plans to introduce a limit of two SEV licenses for the town centre - there is currently no limit.

Councillor Victoria Atherstone, borough council cabinet member for safety and communities said it was important to "ensure safety for all, across all venues in the town centre".

She said the council did this by regulating and licensing their activities.

"Adopting a nil limit throughout the entire borough would not stop such [SEV] businesses from operating, as they would use an exemption that allows any business to operate a SEV, legally, without needing to inform the council or needing to get a licence.

"This is not the safest way to operate and historically our licensing committee has voted to oversee and regulate, rather than allowing such businesses to operate unlicensed and unregulated."

The public has six weeks to share its views on the council's policy, which will then be in place for three years.

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