A vicar has rejected an east London council’s plan to outlaw erotic dancing venues, sex shops and adult cinemas.
Reverend Paul Turp of St Leonard’s Church in Shoreditch has criticised Hackney Council for attempting to “impose a moral code” on local residents.
Hackney Council is currently carrying out a consultation with the public on its draft Sex Establishment Licensing policy, which would implement what they call “nil approach” – in other words, zero tolerance – on these venues.
Reverend Turp said that although he does not frequent the establishments, he believes they should be allowed to operate as they are well regulated and cause far fewer social problems than drugs or alcohol.
He said: “I would prefer if it didn’t happen, but Hackney Council cannot impose a moral code on its citizens, it can only impose a criminal code.
“I’ve been here for 27 years and there have been no problems. They are not dodgy, back-street places where people are getting ripped off. They are well run and the council has done a good job at licensing them,” he told Evening Standard.
The move would mean new licences would not be granted to emerging businesses and existing ones would be less likely to be renewed.
Reverend Turp has a parish which contains four long-established lap dancing bars – the target of the new clamp-down.
However, his parish also includes MPG's licensed adult shop Expectations, a gay leather and fetish store run by Millivres Prowler Group, which is being incorrectly associated with sex venues.
Trading now for over 25 years in its current location, Expectations is the capital’s largest and most popular store for leather and rubber gear, sex toys and accessories. Licensed as a sex shop five years ago so that it could legally sell R18 adult videos, it remains one of the community’s most respected businesses.
The outlet, located on Great Eastern Street, operates during normal business hours and has discreet premises in the basement which are only accessible to adults over 18.
But it now faces relocation – and possibly closure – unless the public formally respond to the consultation and support the store.
A Hackney Council spokesperson told PinkPaper.com that the proposals are based on the belief that these venues “do not fit with the character of our town centres and neighbourhoods”.
“The [Licensing Committee] wants to hear from residents and businesses about how the current sex establishments affect their areas, and whether they think the proposed approach is appropriate for our borough,” they added.
The consultation process is due to finish on 13 December, before the council’s committee makes a decision in January.
Photo by Kevin Thompson.
