Lap Dancing in Hertfordshire

A nightclub in Watford won permission to offer customers striptease and lap dancing, despite the council's nutter aspirations to create a family friendly town centre.

Members of Watford Borough Council said the decision to grant Vogue permission to host adult entertainment felt like wearing handcuffs, tied by the Licensing Act 2003.

Under the law, applications can only be rejected if they are judged to be in violation of four licensing objectives. These are the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm.

Speaking against the application, Neil Fitton, of Elm Court, whimpered: Because of the large number of people who already visit Watford to various other establishments, I think this will cause additional visitors in an overcrowded area where it could give rise to alcohol-related violence. Due to the nature of activities, it could also give rise to intimidation and harassment of other females that are out in town.

However, Julian Skeens, representing Opal Leisure and Neil Campbell, owner of Vogue, offered to reduce the venue's maximum capacity to 150 people from 240, and said it would not be a place where people get drunk , referring to its minimum pricing policy for alcohol, where a beer costs £4.

Skeens revealed that at the venue, all patrons will be seated at all times, with waiter service at the bar. There will also be private dancing booths and a VIP area with a dancing pole, alongside the main stage.

Conditions were imposed on the licence. These include those contained in the premises' operating schedule; a code of conduct for dancers drawn up by the venue; that the licensee shall not allow distribution of flyers containing photos or other images which suggest that strip tease or similar entertainment takes place on the premises and which may be offensive; and the maximum capacity of the premises shall be limited to 150 whilst adult dancing is taking place.

A lap-dancing club has opened in Watford following a scarcely attended consultation with residents.

Vogue, in The Parade, has been billed as Hertfordshire's most exclusive gentlemen's club and officially opened for business on Friday.

The club is yet to receive a permanent licence but held a consultation with concerned residents last week. Despite receiving widespread opposition, only two residents turned up to a meeting organised by the premises' owner Neil Campbell on Thursday evening.

Speaking to the Watford Observer, the owner of the club, Mr Campbell, said: The evening was a success, despite only two people turning out. Once I had explained exactly what Vogue was all about and how it is going to operate those who attended were more than satisfied with it. This is not going to be some seedy strip joint. It's a trendy bar.”

He added: I'm a little disappointed as I wish all those who have allegedly been kicking off about it had attended. If they feel so strongly about it why did they not turn up?

Writing for the Watford Observer, Reverend Tim Roberts, from Watford Community Church, said he was worried about the erosion of sexual dignity in society.

In his on-line blog, Reverend Roberts wrote: Most gentlemen I know love their wives or partners with an honest devotion and the last thing they would think of doing of an evening would be to go out on the town with their mates and sit watching a stranger undress on a table in front of them. Call me old-fashioned but a gentleman should be at home making love not out watching sex.

I'd suggest that we want Watford to be a place where relationships like marriage are strengthened and not eroded, a town where boys and girls grow up as mature gentlemen and ladies who know the difference between a ‘good night out' and a ‘great life together'.