New bid for sexual entertainment venue is submitted
ANEW application for a sexual entertainment venue in Cheltenham has been submitted to the borough council, prompting dozens of people to contact the authority.
Red Apple Associates Limited wants to host the entertainment at Jessop House in Cambray Place in the town centre.
It is a four-storey building, just around the corner from John Lewis and opposite the Tailors pub. The building used to be home to Wild Beer.
Now Red Apple Associates is seeking permission from the council for a licence to stage sexual entertainment in the premises over six days around the time of next year’s Cheltenham Festival. According to the application, the council and the police will be told in writing of the exact dates a month before the event.
But the company adds that it estimates that it will operate the activity on the evenings of March 13 to 18. The proposed times would be from either 6pm or 8pm until 5am.
Stripping and lap-dancing has happened at different venues in Cheltenham during the town’s big week of racing for many years. It has often been controversial, with some local residents and church leaders claiming it risks causing an increase in sexual violence against women.
Jason Kirkwood, the council’s senior licensing officer, said: “I can confirm that we have received an application for a sexual entertainment venue for Jessop House in Cambray Place. The objection period is now closed and the application will go to committee in early November.
“For this specific application, we have had approximately 38 representations, some of which are in support. These representations need to be checked to ensure that they are relevant and made within time.”
He said the council had not received any other such applications for next year’s race week.
However any venue that has a premises licence or temporary event notice, but not a sexual entertainment venue licence, can still offer sexual entertainment for a period not exceeding 24 consecutive hours once a month.
They are able to do this under a statutory exemption that allows for infrequent sexual entertainment.
Officers from the council and police visit such venues each night during race week to ensure that they are operating lawfully.
The 2 Pigs club in Church Street, Cheltenham, has hosted stripping in the past but a spokesman for the venue declined to comment on whether it would be doing so again next year.
The objection period is now closed and the application will go to committee in early November. Jason Kirkwood