Leeds lap dancing club has licence renewed despite delays in paying wages
The venue said “a temporary glitch in finances has been overcome”
A Leeds lap dancing club has renewed its premises licence after conditions were agreed with the council.
Purple Door on York Place has been allowed to continue operating as a sexual entertainment venue.
Leeds City Council approved an application from Purple Door Holdings Ltd to open the premises until 4am, Sunday-Thursday and 5am at weekends.
A licensing sub-committee was told the venue already agreed to pay its performers within 14 days after delays in wages being transferred.
Paddy Whur, representing Purple Door, told councillors: “A temporary glitch in finances has been overcome.”
As part of the licence renewal, the venue also applied for changes to its external appearance, the hearing was told.
Mr Whur said: “It’s compliant with your policies. There is no sexually explicit imagery.”
In 2010, a government review saw lap dancing clubs re-classified as “sexual entertainment venues”, giving councils more powers to regulate them,
Leeds City Council then carried out its own review of the venues and decided the maximum number allowed in the city centre would be four.
Lap dancing clubs were prevented from opening near properties with “sensitive” uses.
They included schools, play parks, women’s refuges and places of worship.
A report to the licensing hearing said: “The policy states that the appropriate number of sexual entertainment venues in the city centre is a maximum of four, provided these premises are not near properties with sensitive uses or in sensitive locations.”