North Lanarkshire Council has confirmed its policy on sexual entertainment venues - even though it doesn’t have any.
The council launched a four-week consultation in January due to new legislation.
However, that prompted a backlash from a local women’s group who claimed the council were “pimping out the area”.
In a statement, NLC said: “Following a public consultation, any sexual entertainment venues (SEVs) in North Lanarkshire must be licensed by the council before they can operate.
“This means any business that applies for a licence will need to comply with its conditions which will help to ensure they operate safely and appropriately within legal parameters.
“By licensing these venues (although we currently don’t have any), it will help to prevent public nuisance, crime and disorder, ensure public safety, protect children and young people from harm, and reduce violence against women.
“If the council had decided not to licence SEVs, they would have been able to operate without direct regulation or control.”
The council says the new SEV licensing regime has been introduced following a court decision which determined that councils (as licensing authorities) weren’t legally able to use the liquor licence conditions to control the activities of those operating such venues, beyond any concerns about the sale and consumption of alcohol.
This decision led to the Scottish Government introducing legislation to create a specific licensing regime for SEVs, with associated statutory guidance, which provides a discretion for local authorities as to whether they elect to introduce it for their area.
In the event that a council decides not to introduce it then an operator could open such premises and be able to carry on their business without any regulation by the local authority.
As a consequence, the council would then be unable to protect the public and those employed in the venue from the unregulated activities of the operator.
However, during the consultation period, a spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Women’s Forum told us: “This consultation is a farce.
“These types of businesses are not welcome here, but the council already announced its decision to license sex clubs and strip joints in North Lanarkshire - they are effectively pimping out our area.
“They present a significant threat to the safety of women and girls, and are decidedly unsavoury.
“The vast majority of women are unaware of the council’s decision and were not informed of the consultation.
“We are giving the council notice that we will campaign to have this decision reversed.
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