Kings Club had its sexual entertainment licence renewed at a private meeting of Harrogate council's sub-licensing committee last September, but conditions that dancers are paid by bank transfer and do not drink alcohol were attached. This led to an
appeal being lodged by the Oxford Street venue owners who also applied for a new licence set to be decided at another meeting of the sub-committee. With an appeal hearing at York Magistrates' Court on 28 May looming, a report to meeting said the
venue has proposed new conditions in an attempt to resolve the current appeal without the time and costs associated with the determination by the Magistrates' court. Councillors have been recommended to approve these conditions which include a ban
on dancers bringing alcohol onto the premises only and a full audit trail/reconciliation account for how they are paid. The venue accepted extra conditions already in place, including no drugs allowed on the premises, a need for each dancer to be
escorted to a safe mode of transport when they leave, a written record of all fines imposed on dancers and a code of conduct. The meeting revealed that dancers are required to pay a house fee of £25 per night and receive 70% of payments from
customers. There is also a reduction in fees for dancers if they are intoxicated whilst with a customer or refuse to pole dance. All strip clubs have been closed since March 2020 and are due to reopen on 21 June when all social distancing measures
are scheduled to end. Update: Dancers win back cash payments and alcoholic drinks 20th May 2021. See
article from darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk
Harrogate's only strip club has dropped a legal challenge against the local council's onerous new licensing conditions after the council agreed to drop 2 conditions that were causing the most grief. The council agreed to drop rules banning cash
payments to dancers and banning them from accepting alcoholic drinks from customers. Kings Club, on Oxford Street, had its sexual entertainment licence renewed by the council's sub-licensing committee last September but conditions that dancers do not
drink alcohol and must be paid by bank transfer led to the owners lodging an appeal with York Magistrates' Court. The club's legal representative argued an alcohol ban would simply finish the business due to dancers
not wanting to work. He said: We do want dancers to have the opportunity to have a drink with the customers. That is something that has always happened here. It happens in every venue nationally of this type.
Quite often customers will go into the premises and they don't even want to be dancing. They will buy a drink for a dancer and sit and talk to them. You wouldn't get dancers coming to work here if they weren't
allowed to socialise.
It was agreed by councillors today that the venue's new sexual entertainment licence would be renewed with the ban on dancers drinking alcohol and need for them to be paid by bank transfer removed. |
