Agenda item

The report of the Chief Officer Elections and Regulatory requests consideration for the renewal of a Sex Establishment Licence for the provision of sexual entertainment in the form of lap dancing. This application is made by TRL Promotions Ltd, for a premises to operate under the name of Liberte at 10 York Place, Leeds, LS1 2DS.

The report of the Chief Officer, Elections and Regulatory, requested Members’ consideration on the renewal of a Sex Establishment Licence for the provision of sexual entertainment in the form of lap dancing. The application was made by TRL Promotions Ltd., for a premises to operate under the name of Liberte at 10 York Place, Leeds, LS1 2DS.

In attendance for the hearing were:

·  Luke Elford, John Gaunt & Partners – Applicant’s representative

·  Manuela Haruta, Director of TRL Promotions Ltd – Applicant

·  Susan Duckworth, Officer from Entertainment Licensing

The Legal Officer set out the procedure for the hearing.

The Licensing Officer presented the application:

·  The hours of operation are to remain as existing:

o  22:00hrs until 04:00hrs Sunday to Thursday

o  22:00hrs until 05:00hrs Friday and Saturday

·  A copy of the application was appended to the submitted report at Appendix B.

·  Members were advised that additional documents were attached to the report at Appendix C, which included:

o  Dancers Welfare Pack

o  Dancers Code of Conduct

o  Customers Code of Conduct

o  Pricing Policy

o  Trade Union Details.

·  Members were requested to consider the external appearance and all methods of advertising. Photographs of the external appearance were attached at Appendix D. It was noted that the appearance of the premises would remain as existing.

·  The application had attracted a representation from Entertainment Licensing suggesting revised conditions replace the existing conditions on the licence. A review of the conditions in consultation with the existing Sexual Entertainment Venues identified out of date, redundant and in some cases unworkable conditions. Copies of the representation and the revised conditions were appended to the report at Appendix E.

·  No other representations had been received.

The applicant’s representative provided the Sub-Committee with the following information:

·  TRL Promotions Ltd. have held the licence at the premises since 2012.

·  It was the view that the representation brought by the Licensing Team was a sensible suggestion for the Sexual Entertainment Venues. There had been good work between the venue and the team, which had come up with sensible, appropriate, and proportionate conditions for performers in the 21^st Century.

·  It was noted that web links to Leeds Women’s Aid would be part of the standard conditions.

The officer from Entertainment Licensing informed the Sub-Committee that this was not an objection; more of a letter to consider updating the conditions.

The Team had worked with the Sexual Entertainment Venues suggesting updates, which included:

·  Electronic documents

·  Conditions that were easier to comply with and enforce.

·  CCTV updates

·  Price lists were to be provided on entry to the premises.

·  Pre work checks to be undertaken including DBS checks and right to work checks, this was to protect the workers and the venues.

·  There were also rules around no touching and what is and is not allowed.

It was the view that these revised conditions are more up to date and sensible. It was also the suggestion that the dancers should be able to access links to Leeds Women’s Aid should they require it.

Answering questions from the Members the Sub-Committee were provided with the following information:

·  The conditions had not been reviewed in 10 years. The policy has not changed, including the recommendation that Sexual Entertainment Venues should be restricted to the city centre and there should be no more than 4 venues.

·  The same conditions will be offered to all the venues as their licences come up for renewal.

·  Where the dancers first language is not English the conditions can be translated into the dancer’s language as appropriate.

The Sub-Committee were of the view that the suggested conditions were sensible, and it was good that should the dancers require it they could be steered towards other services if necessary.

RESOLVED – To grant the licence as applied for with the new standard conditions and to approve the external appearance of the premises.