Lap-dancing club forced to close as it has no licence
LAP DANCING on the city's Parliament Street is to cease from this weekend, following a decision by planning body, An Bord Pleanala.
It was decided on Monday that lap dancing does not come under the remit of a pub licence and therefore constitutes a change of use. This means that the owners of Secrets Lap Dancing Club will have to apply for planning permission before it can trade as a lap-dancing club. This process will take a minimum of eight weeks and could take several months depending on whether or not there are third party objections. However, the owners are perfectly within their rights to continue trading as a pub under their current licence.
Borough Council officials will carry out a formal inspection of the premises over the coming days. The Bord Pleanala decision means that lap dancing or pole dancing is not legitimate under a pub licence. If this activity continues, the local planning authority, Kilkenny Borough Council, will take enforcement procedures which could include seeking a court injunction to have the entire premises shut down. Director of Planning with Kilkenny County Council John Mc-Cormack told the Kilkenny People that an inspection would take place at the premises over the coming days and added that he expected the owners to fully comply with the decision made by An Bord Pleanala.
Fine Gael councillor, Paul Cuddihy told the Kilkenny People that he was delighted with the decision. "I raised this matter at a local authority meeting over 12 months ago and Council officials went to court the following day to see whether the lap-dancing club vindicated a change of use.
"While I do not want to prejudice any future planning application, it is my belief that a lap dancing club is not an appropriate type of development," he said.
Meanwhile, Labour councillor Sean O'hAargain, who has actively opposed the club since it opened last January, said he was very pleased with the decision. "I have said from the beginning that I was against the club and I am delighted that the lap dancing will stop. People owe the protesters a debt of gratitude for their stance on the matter. This decision may have national implications and hopefully will start a sensible planning process where we can protect our streets from this type of activity. There is no place for a lap-dancing club in Kilkenny and it is my belief that this sort of activity constitutes the exploitation of women," he added.
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Monday 21 May 2012
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