A councillor says the introduction of strip club licenses is needed to protect females despite classing sexual entertainment as a form of 'violence against women'.
South Ayrshire Council has agreed to introduce powers to regulate strip clubs and other adult entertainment venues, having postponed the implementation twice since agreeing in principle in 2020.
The Leadership Panel agreed to the new implementation date on Tuesday and will be required to get input from police, public health Scotland, and relevant groups like women's aid.
The law allows the council to consider proximity to schools, churches and homes and take into account issues relating to sexual assaults and people trafficking.
It also means that councils can set a maximum number of sexual entertainment venues (SEV) in the area. This can be set at zero.
Kyle SNP councillor Julie Dettbarn was keen to emphasise that these regulations would be used to protect women involved in the sex entertainment industry.
She said: "The council is not promoting the degradation of women by introducing regulations around strip clubs and other sex entertainment venues.
"There is a public perception that doesn't fully grasp our aspirations in this regard.
"We all respect the principles that have been published in the equally safe paper. We all aspire towards that and recognise forms of commercial exploitation as a form of violence against women and girls.
"We also have to make sure those women and girls involved in that industry have all protections have, by not having unlicensed premises.
"It is important to get the message out there that we are not opening sexual entertainment venues for the edification of the population of South Ayrshire.
"We are seeking to ensure that, if such premises are established here, they are properly run, are safe and protect the predominantly female workforce in these venues."
A report to the Leadership Panel stated that the delays in implementation had been the result of Police Scotland and Public Health Scotland being unable to input into the draft statement required by law.
In order to allow premises to comply with any licensing issues, the regulations can only be implemented 12 months after the council agrees to it. This was agreed by the panel.
The draft policy statement will have input from organisations such as violence against women partnerships, child protection committees, community councils, local residents, gender groups, local business communities, existing operators and Police Scotland.
While South Ayrshire’s licensing board does have powers to regulate potential adult venues using existing premises licenses for the sale of alcohol, the Scottish Government has stated that, without formal resolution, sexual entertainment venues are ‘unregulated’.
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