Issue - meetings

Report No: CAB/FH/17/010

Portfolio Holder: Lance Stanbury             

Chairman of the Committee: Michael Anderson Lead Officer: Peter Gudde

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (22 February 2017)

That the proposed Joint West Suffolk Sex Establishment Licensing Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 to Report No: CAB/FH/17/010, be adopted.

(Report No: CAB/FH/17/010)

Councillor Lance Stanbury, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, presented this report which asked the Cabinet to consider the recommendations of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee in relation to the approval of a Joint West Suffolk Sex Establishment Policy.

The report explained that on 9 March 2011, the District Council had adopted Section 27 of the Policing and Crime Act 2009, which allowed it to regulate lap dancing clubs and similar venues under the same regime as sex shops and sex cinemas.  Specifically the 2009 Act re-classified lap dancing clubs and similar venues as ‘Sexual Entertainment Venues’ and as a Sex Establishment under Schedule 3 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.  Sexual Entertainment Venues were defined by the legislation.  The provisions of Schedule 3 were summarised in the report.

In order to operate under the legislation, ‘best practice’ advised that Councils adopted a policy for the issue of licences and the maintenance of Sex Establishments and approve a set of conditions to be applied to each licence.  The District Council had a Sex Establishment Policy adopted on 8 May 2013 and St Edmundsbury Borough Council had a separate policy.  It was proposed that the Joint Policy, which aligned the operation of the two authorities, thus increasing efficiency and had been subject to public consultation, as contained as Appendix 1 to Report No: LIC/FH/17/002, replaced both documents.

The recommendations of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee were set out in Report No: CAB/FH/17/010 for the Cabinet’s consideration.

With the vote being unanimous, it was

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (22 February 2017)

That the proposed Joint West Suffolk Sex Establishment Licensing Policy, as set out in Appendix 1 to Report No: CAB/FH/17/010, be adopted.