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Published:
April 12, 2006
Night
club's lap dancing request approved by Burnham councillors
Lap-dancing
looks set to be introduced at a Burnham-On-Sea night club after
a request submitted to town planners got the go-ahead on Tuesday
night, April 11th.
Burnham-On-Sea.com
exclusively reported on Monday
that Shakers night club in the High Street, pictured, had
requested a variation to its licence in order to open until 4am
on Fridays and Saturdays, and introduce occasional lap dancing.
Town
councillors discussed the controversial plan at a planning meeting
on Tuesday - and gave a cautious green light to a limited extension
of trading hours and the introduction of lap dancing.
Shakers
had applied to extend its opening hours to 11pm-2am every night
between Sunday and Thursday, and 11pm-4am on Fridays and Saturdays.
But
councillors said they were concerned about noise and nuisance
problems in the area. Burnham's Deputy Mayor, Cllr Dennis Davey,
said: "I have received a considerable number of complaints
from people in Cross Street and Adam Street with reference to
late night noise and general nuisance problems in this area."
Town
clerk Eileen Shaw said it was difficult to prove that that the
noise had been coming from Shakers night club. "We
would need to be 100% confident that the noise has been coming
from this premises - and not somewhere nearby such as a kebab
shop or a pub - in order to turn down and object to this application,"
she said.
Shakers
also wanted to allow the re-entry of clubbers into the club after
midnight in anticipation of the smoking ban. Under the proposal,
clubbers would be able to leave the building, have a smoke and
get back in to the club, but concerns from local residents about
noise in the early hours of the morning led this to be turned
down.
Planning
Committee Chairman Cllr Peter Clayton said this is "an area
of concern." He
added: "We don't want partially intoxicated people in the
street in the early hours of the morning in an area where there
are lots of nearby residential properties. I would not want to
see alcohol served after 2.30am and feel that a closing time of
4am is just too late."
On
the aspect of lap dancing, Cllr Pat Burge asked: "Have we
really got no say in what entertainment they put on in this premises?"
But
Cllr Peter Clayton told the council that it only has a limited
number of issues it can use to complain about a licensing application
and added: "What we can object to here is very limited. We
can't simply make a moral judgement, even if we are against lap
dancing."
The
committee gave a thumbs-up to the proposal on the condition that:
In the interets of protecting children, no advertisements
of an adult nature be placed outside the club.
There should be no variation
in the re-entry of clubbers after midnight, and no external area
outside the club for smoking.
No alcohol should be
served after 2am.
The club should close
at 2.30am, regardless of the time of year.
The
application will now go to Sedgemoor District Council for a final
decision.
RELATED
LINKS:
Lap dancing could be
introduced at Burnham club
Shakers night club set to
re-open in April
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