Councillor’s lap club visit
TORY SPEAKS TO DANCERS AHEAD OF VOTE ON LICENCE WHICH GIVES PREMISES THE GO-AHEAD
A COUNCILLOR went on a site visit with a difference – to talk to lapdancers.
Brighouse Tory Colin Peel went to a lapdancing club on his own last Saturday night – ahead of a council decision on its licence.
He paid the entry fee, chatted to the girls – but didn’t have a dance.
Clr Peel told colleagues on Calderdale Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee he went to the La Salsa club in Silver Street, Halifax, unannounced.
But he asked to talk to the women who danced there, to other employees and to one of the owners.
The council approved the licence at a meeting on Thursday night – at the third time of asking.
Last year members granted the licence and then, asked to reconsider by full council, refused to renew it at a second meeting, on grounds the nature of the area around the club had changed and that the owner, Mr Reza Shahsavar, was not a proper person to hold a licence.
Both reasons were challenged by Mr Shahsavar’s legal representatives either on appeal or at the meeting.
Councillors again heard representations objecting to the licence being renewed on the grounds that it was opposite a women’s refuge and close to a church.
Despite the licence refusal decision last December the club has been able to stay open while the licensing process has been fully concluded, the committee heard.
Clr Peel said in 2007 all members of the council had been invited to go and see the club for themselves and he had decided to do the same now, touring the premises and seeing CCT V in every room.
“Last Saturday I made an unannounced visit to La Salsa, paying an entrance fee and explained why I was there.
“I talked to staff, to the women and they were free with their infor- mation,” said Clr Peel.
“I talked to seven women dancers away from management. They were open and free in their thoughts on the club.
“I spoke to Mr Shahsavar. I left the club at midnight. I did not have a dance. I had no preconceived ideas, I want to make that clear.”
Those he spoke to included a university student paying for her studies.
“All came across as confident, open and free. They told me it was the safest club they knew of, rules are strictly applied.
“I asked if they had a point to make to the committee and they said, ‘let us earn our income, don’t meddle’,” he said.
Clr Carol Machell asked about a report in the Examiner in 2010, written about premises La Salsa’s owners had in Huddersfield, reporting its closure and revocation of licence following a police raid.
She argued that made Mr Shahsavar’s suitability for being granted a licence a matter of concern.
An objector raised the issue about the incident in Huddersfield but Clr Thornber said the committee could not discuss what had happened in another authority.
Clr Machell said she found that absolutely incredible. “We verified that by asking him, ‘have you ever had a licence revoked by another authority in West Yorkshire’. If you are considering whether anyone is suitable for a licence it’s absolutely relevant,” she said.
But Mr Shahsavar’s legal repre- sentative said both reasons given for refusing the licence last time were not substantiated.
Regarding events at Huddersfield, his client had the authorisation to run the club in his name but it was being run by someone else.
When the police incident happened he had decided to walk away from the premises, with Kirklees Council automatically revoking the licence.
Councillors voted 4-2, with two abstentions, to renew the licence.