North Lanarkshire Council has been accused of “pimping out the area” after launching a consultation on licensing sexual entertainment venues.
The council launched a four-week consultation in January and ended earlier this week.
Now a women’s pressure group has said the local authority has gotten it all wrong, and are angered by a consultation that doesn’t ask if SEVs are welcome, but rather what are suitable areas for strips clubs.
A spokeswoman 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 - and we intend to make this issue in the forthcoming election campaign.”
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.
A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council said: “We do not currently have a policy on the licensing of SEVs.
“Although there are no premises of this type currently operating in North Lanarkshire, we need to develop a policy to help us manage any future applications.
“The key considerations of the new policy will be focused on helping to prevent public nuisance, crime and disorder; ensuring public safety; protecting children and young people from harm, and reducing violence against women.”
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