City bar plans to launch lap dance shows
| Posted: April 04, 2009
Ali Anvari
A CITY bar has applied for a licence to become a lap dancing club, the Echo can reveal.
EX4 bar, in Fore Street, plans to transform its top floor into a lap dancing and pole dancing club called Eden Lounge.
The venue would see up to 10 girls providing entertainment — including private naked shows.
The owner of the bar, businessman Ali Anvari, insists the club will be "well managed" with tight security, but the proposals have been met with some concern.
City centre manager John Harvey said: "I don't think this is something which is appropriate for the city centre.
"I have anxieties that as we are seeking to create a city centre that is welcoming and family-focused this will not take us in the right direction."
And the Rev Andrew Sails, of The Mint Methodist Church, on Fore Street, said: "Fore Street is used widely for social purposes and it has a good, family atmosphere.
"I would be very disappointed if the proposals were allowed to go through."
If granted permission, the bar will become the city's only lap dancing venue after Tiffany's, on Exeter Quay, closed earlier in the year.
Mr Anvari told the Echo: "We saw a gap in the market after Tiffany's closed.
"Exeter is a city and it currently doesn't have a lap dancing club whereas smaller towns like Exmouth do.
"The city has had lap dancing clubs before so there is no reason why it should not have one again."
He added: "It will be a well-run well managed establishment, with thousands of pounds worth of CCTV equipment."
The public have until Monday, April 20, to object to the proposals. If no representations are received, the licence for a lap dancing club will be granted by the council, without it going before councillors on the authority's licensing committee.
Councillor John Winterbottom, who sits on the city's licensing committee, said: "EX4 bar is a very central location and whether it will be an ideal place for a lap dancing club I'm not sure.
"But the way the law is designed, councillors actually have very little power in turning down such applications."
A spokesman for Exeter City Council said: "Only if we receive relevant representations will this matter be placed before a licensing sub-committee.
"Objections based on need or moral grounds are not relevant objections."
Comments
This is not what we need in Fore Street. Fore street IS a place for families.. I run a business that specifically attracts families and young people. I am also a woman and dont want to see the kind of men this place will atttract on the street. What has happenend to feminism! Fore street will never improve if this is allowed to happen!. Ask yourself if you can imagine a Lap dancing club on our High Street. What would that make it feel like to the vast majority of shoppers.. who are incidently women and children.
Worrying about it fitting into a family-focused area is complete nonsense. There's nothing family focused about Fore Street. Its just a road with shops on it (including a sex shop). They aren't going to be dancing in the streets. Its all behind closed doors, so what's the problem. These types of establishments are operated under very strict conditions. Those that aren't, will get into trouble and have to close.
It's simple isn't it? People who are into religion can go to the Mint Methodist Church. People who are into Lap dancing can go to the Lap Dancing Club! Perhaps the Lap Dancing clientèle should campaign to have the Mint Methodist Church closed down because it's immoral?
I know Ali as a friend and a customer in his pub. He provides Exeter with a fair few jobs through his Pubs and his Door Staff business - maybe we should be encouraging business men like this to continue investing in the city and creating further jobs, especially with how the economy is at the moment.
I cant see it being a classy lap dancing club (if there is such thing) so no, i dont think it should go ahead. The way i see it Lap Dancing Club = Trouble
While i wouldn't go to a lap dancing bar (or ex4 for that matter!) I dont think this is a bad thing, Exeters a city after all, not a small minded village - and in the economic climate were currently in surely encouraging new business ventures is a good thing?
Great way to make this city even more seedy
how long before the old fuddy duddies are up in arms about the plans? good luck to the guy, not a place i would frequent but it's about time exeter brought itself into the 21st century. any chance of a casino downstairs?