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Protest over lap dancing club near infants school
Ruth Bloomfield23.02.09
Residents are fighting plans to set up a late-night lap dancing club in a north London suburb.
Protesters in Crouch End say the planned club - a former Salvation Army citadel - is just a few minutes from an infants school.
They are objecting to an application lodged with Haringey council by the owners of the Music Palace in Tottenham Lane to alter the terms of its licence to allow lap dancing.
The palace, a music venue specialising in jazz, blues and country, is near Rokesly Infants and Junior School which is drawing up its objection to the move. The venue already opens until 2am at weekends and midnight during the week.
The Victorian building was a Salvation Army Citadel from 1914 until the mid-Seventies.
Councillor David Winskill, who represents the local ward, said: "The first reaction when people heard about this was absolute shock and amazement.
"Crouch End is a small, local shopping centre with good restaurants and independent family-owned shops. It is a happy family area. People were absolutely stunned.
"The Music Palace is pretty well run, but in the past there have been issues with noise and public order and the lives of the local people were made a nightmare.
"This is not a moral crusade. This is about a development that is totally inappropriate in a residential area where there is a school around the corner."
Lara Towner, 38, who lives near the venue, said: "I have two young children and this is not the sort of thing that I want to have to explain to them. I am also worried about unsavoury characters lurking about.
"It will also play havoc with our property prices, and could not come at a worse time. I shall certainly be objecting to these plans." A spokesman for Haringey said the application was under consultation until 3 March. He added: "It will then be up to the licensing committee to consider the matter. Residents have been notified, making it clear this is an application for a lap dancing club."
The row follows a national boom in lap dancing venues since the Licensing Act was introduced in 2003.
Not only did the act introduce 24-hour drinking but it watered down the rules governing sex shows, forcing councils to regard applications in the same way as licences for any venue.
Last year it was announced that the Government planned to reclassify the clubs as "sex encounter" venues and give local authorities stronger powers to prevent them opening.
Nobody from the Music Palace was available for comment.
Reader views (11)
Its seems the lap off campaigners going up against plans for a lapdance club in Crouch End have to cheat and lie to make themselves appear supported and evidence Ive seen shows their claims of support are less than true.
This is becuause they are censoring and deleating or blocking any criticisim against their campaign and arguemtns thus making it appear falsely like they have support they simply dont have.
Example try pointing out that their argument of exploitation simply does not add up when woemn earn £20 for a 3 min dance... which can equate to around £115,000 take home a year... and the post disappears as they can't counter argue any criticisim on their sites...
- Joey Feliney, London
What possible threat are a guys stupid enough to pay a fortune to see ladies change their clothes and how on earth is it exploitation to be earning 20 times what waitresses and shop assistants are earning next door.
- Chris, London UK
they are proposing to open at 11AM so probably about 390 school children!
- Sal Crouch End, crouch end ujk
I live near The Music Palace and have NOT been notified that the venue is appluing for any changes to its licence.
- Heather, Crouch End, London
Times have changed, when I was an infant I was in bed by 6pm. They grow up so quickly these days.
Will they get a student discount I wonder?!
- Frank, Home Counties, England. - ( Sick to death of the pandering Liberal-Lefties )
How many infants are lurking around when the "late night club" is open ? I suppose in that part of london, hundreds.
- Michael Waugh, South Kensington
Of all the reasons not to let a lap dancing club operate (such as exploiting the women who work therein) this has got to be the silliest. I have lived slap bang opposite such a club on the Finchley Road for the past 8 years and can tell you it is extremely discreet and causes no problems whatsoever. As neighbours go you barely even notice they are there.
- Stuart Plummer, London
They are dancing inside the venue, not the school playground. so whats the problem?
Also the sign states that its a "music club". So for those parents who dont know how to explain it to children i would suggest you tell them thats its a "Music club, where music is played". There you go problem solved!
- Pete M, Camberley, UK
Simple: they'll have to move the infants' school in case they upset the lapdancers.
- Neil M., london uk,
"I have two young children and this is not the sort of thing that I want to have to explain to them. I am also worried about unsavoury characters lurking about.... It will also play havoc with our property prices!"
Mmmm, I wonder which is the priority here? Lap dancing clubs tend not to be open around school time (or so I'm told!)
- Paul, London
They are not going to get many late night infants coming out of school at 2am so what is the issue of it being near a school? More NIMBYs?
- Tom, Watford (UK)
