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
