UK Lap Dancing and Strip Clubs S

News March 2013: Closed

The club has closed citing shared problems in its complex rather than anything individual to Rouge. The venue now looks set to be turned into flats.

News August 2014: Application refused

The licensing committee refused the application on the grounds that the layout and character of the premises was inappropriate for the activity for which the licence was being sought .

News August 2014: Application

An application to open a lap dancing club in Scarborough is being considered by the council.

The council has received almost 100 objections, including a petition claiming the club would lead to an increase in anti-social incidents .

The council said North Yorkshire Police had raised no objections to the granting of a licence.

The proposed club would be located above an existing bar in the town centre and operate between 21:00 and 03:30.

News October 2020: Closed at current venue

La Chambre is a very well known swinger's club in Sheffield. It has announced that after a year of coronavirus lockdown it is closing down at the current venue but hopes to find somewhere else in the future.

News October 2020: Lapsed licence

A much harassed strip club which closed in March due to coronavirus restrictions has decided not to apply to renew its licence. Spearmint Rhino, which has been on Brown Street in Sheffield for 18 years, has surrendered its sexual entertainment venue licence and handed over its alcohol licence to another operator.

Some strip club dancers, who have not worked since March, have said the industry has been hit hard by coronavirus pandemic restrictions. So presumably much of this latest decision was down to economic reality rather than more political issues.

News August 2020: Consent Lesson

See article from bbc.co.uk

It seems that feminists are somehow exempt from the need to seek consent when filming sex, especially when seeking to destroy the livelihoods of lap dancers.

A group of lap-dancers who were filmed without their consent at a strip club have dropped their privacy case.

Feminists commissioned the covert filming which showed dancers sexually touching customers and each other at Spearmint Rhino in Sheffield.

Lap dancers, supported by the club, took legal action against the filming, saying their human rights had been breached.

However, the case has been discontinued with Spearmint Rhino agreeing to pay almost £50,000 in costs.

The feminist group Not Buying It said it hoped the outcome would embolden others to come forward.

It is understood that the club felt it could have won the case but decided not to pursue it because of added financial limitations due to the coronavirus crisis. All lap-dancing clubs remain closed as part of measures to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

Not Buying it is understood to have commissioned private investigators to visit the strip club, as well as another in London, wearing glasses containing hidden cameras.

A group of nine workers from the club then went to court claiming publication of the footage would infringe their human right to respect for private life .

Spearmint Rhino in Sheffield had its licence renewed last year, however campaigners are challenging this with a judicial review expected to be heard later this year.

News April 2020: Licence renewed

A strip club harassed by feminist campaigners has had its license renewed. Sheffield council's licensing committee had met for eight hours to discuss whether Spearmint Rhino should have its sexual entertainment licence renewed.

Private investigators employed by campaigners had secretly filmed dancers who reportedly sexually touched customers and each other. The dances were filmed without consent of either the dancers or the customers.

The council said full reasons for the renewal would be given soon but fter the secret filming council officers inspected the club monthly.

News September 2019: Licence renewed

Spearmint Rhino strip club in Sheffield had its licence renewed after the council ruled covertly recorded footage of dancers breaking no-touching rules filmed without consent should not force its closure.

Dancers at Spearmint Rhino celebrated the ruling, made after eight hours of heated testimony from both sides. Dancers had accused campaigners who made the undercover recordings of revenge porn tactics.

A coalition of feminist groups that had sought the club's closure condemned the decision and said they would continue to fight for the venue to be closed.

News June 2019: Feminists in need of consent training

See article from bbc.com

Strip club dancers have marched through Sheffield to oppose plans to close Spearmint Rhino.

The brightly-dressed protesters stopped traffic in Sheffield city centre, braving driving rain between the Brown Street club and Sheffield Town Hall.

Sheffield's Spearmint Rhino club was targeted by feminist extremists who commissioned private detectives to obtain video evidence and report on anything untoward. They claimed to have filmed inappropriate sexual contact clearly without the consent of the participants. Surely such filming would be illegal so perhaps these may be just claims.

The dancers and supporters, including Sheffield Hallam University women's officer Gabby Willis, told marchers filming of that sort should be classed as revenge porn. Ms Willis said she supported the dancers' right to earn money however they choose. She said:

I think it's really important we stand by women's choice to do that in a safe environment for their job, if they want to.

Club worker Rachael McCoy told protesters:

This is really important to us. This is our livelihoods. I'm a single mother. This job helps me feed my children. This job has actually changed my life for the better.

News June 2018: Licensed granted

See article from bbc.com

A Sheffield lap dancing club has had its operating licence renewed despite dozens of objections from feminists on morality grounds.

Spearmint Rhino, on Brown Street, has operated for 15 years without trouble and the chair of licensing, councillor David Barker, said there was no evidence of poor practices at the club. Granting the licence, Barker said:

There was a very strong case against sexual entertainment in general from the objectors. However, we could find no strong evidence of poor practices or detrimental impact on the local area arising from the operation of the club.

News June 2018: University intolerance

See article from bbc.com

Spearmint Rhino, which has been on Brown Street in Sheffield for more than 15 years, has applied for its sexual entertainment venue licence to be renewed.

And now the local university, Sheffield Hallam, has decided to initiate a morality campaign against the venue.

A Sheffield Hallam University spokesperson claimed the club could seriously undermine its multimillion-pound masterplan for the area. '

See article from theguardian.com

Feminist campaigners have been granted a judicial review against Sheffield's strip club licensing policy.

The review has been brought by a Sheffield resident referred to as Irene. Activists backing her case launched a CrowdJustice crowdfunding campaign on Thursday to cover the legal costs.

A Judicial Review examines whether official bodies followed correct and legal procedures eg when making licensing decisions.

It seems that moralist campaigners feel that the council should consider wider impact on women and gender equality, rather than just the wellbeing of those specifically affected by the Sheffield club.

The outcome could of course affect clubs and councils nationwide.

News September 2016: Withdrawn

A licence application was withdrawn seemingly in the face of miserable opposition.

News March 2013: Planning Opposition

A new application stumbled at the first hurdle of planning permission

News September 2018: Burlesque

Plans have been submitted to the local council for a new club. The plans include pole, lap and table dancing shows as well as burlesque dancing shows every half an hour,

News March 2013: Failed judicial review

The club failed to get a licence in November 2011. There was no joy from a Judicial review of that decision in March 2013.

News December 2018: Closed

The club's website says that the venue is currently closed but is set to re-open later.

News August 2013: Licence Application

Licence application was heard on 14th August and duly approved. There were 3 objections.

News April 2013: New Bar

The bar will take over from Maxim's Casino.

News June 2017: Closed

The bar lost its licence over allegations of credit card fraud, drug-dealing, violent incidents and prostitution. The venue is now up for sale and looks set to be converted into flats.

News January 2015: Licence granted

The drinks licence was granted and it was made clear that the venue could hold no more than 11 burlesque nights as a Sex Entertainment Venue licence was not requested.

News January 2015: Carbon copy

Carbon Nightclub, part of the Maltings Entertainment Complex in Stowmarket, has applied to Mid Suffolk District Council (MSDC) for a new premises licence.

As part of the application it has included proposals for pole-dancing, striptease, lap dancing or burlesque nights .

Robert Perry is owner of the club said: It's good to stay fresh there's definitely a demand for it, 100%, it will be once a month at most.

The MSDC committee will meet on January 26 at 10am.

News September 2013: Licence granted

An adult entertainment licence has been obtained for striptease entertainment that is limited to days when there is a Sunderland home match.

DJ Wee Phillie has provided match day entertainment at Privilege before the club closed earlier in the year, but now looks set to perform at Passion. Part of his act includes a strip show.

News July 2013: Banned

Swansea Council has banned table dancing from all areas of the city. Sex shops are allowed but only in the city centre.

News July 2013: Nil policy considered

Swansea is considering implementing a morality policy of banning table dancing from the town.