Grant a license to the law abiding lap dancing clubs of Leeds

On Wednesday 5th March there will be a judicial review into Leeds City Councils decision not to renew licences to two of Leeds largest lap dancing clubs.

The decision was based on the proximity of the clubs to buildings with sensitive uses or in ‘sensitive locations’, even though not one of the ‘sensitive locations’ objected to the applications.

To comply with these concerns Wildcats, located on the Headrow, has
• removed all signage
• increased the minimum age for admittance to 21
• reduced promotional activity
• will no longer open the club before 11pm.
This is a reasonable time to expect families and children to have vacated the city center area and after all ‘sensitive locations’ have closed.

Closing the three clubs will result in over 200 job losses, and legal bills for the council to fight for the closures, are expected to reach a significant amount of taxpayer’s money.

Less than forty people objected to the licenses being granted, which comprised of a similar group of feminist councilors and women’s right campaigners. This same group failed to convince the committee to refuse licences in 2012. This compares to hundreds that will find themselves unemployed should the closures be enforced.

This imbalance already suggests the council have failed to take into account the interests of the majority of the public.

The clubs in question operate as perfectly legal, regulated, respectable businesses and the case to close them is arguably a moral judgment based on events that happen behind closed doors.

This petition urges Leeds City Council to sit down with the clubs in question and renegotiate a licence before going to the incredible cost of defending their decision before the High Court, and possibly a High Court of Appeal, costing the taxpayer money and risking further job losses.