Shrewsbury lap dancing club bid attacked
Controversial plans have been submitted for Shrewsbury's first lap dancing club, to the dismay of locals who today condemned the proposals as 'degrading'.
A weekly lap dancing night could be introduced at Source Vodka Bar in Barker Street, under plans revealed today. Owner Rob Bywater has applied for a licence to use the bar as a 'sex encounter establishment'.
The bar is just yards from the town's sixth form college and 16th century mansion Rowley's House.
Mr Bywater plans to host a weekly event, featuring a mixture of pole dancing in the club area and lap dances in private booths. He said he had received no complaints following 'successful' trial nights run once a month between August and December last year.
But councillors in the town have hit out at the plans, claiming it might attract unwanted visitors from the West Midlands and that the industry is 'degrading' to women.
Shropshire councillor Miles Kenny, who is also the county's Liberal Democrat spokesman for equalities and diversity, said: "This isn't the sort of thing the town needs or wants.
"It's degrading to women. The worst thing is that people might come in from other parts of the West Midlands who might bring in their own problems."
A licensing application has been submitted to Shropshire Council and if approved the venture could be up and running by Easter.
Mr Bywater said: "We tried to launch this last year and it was very successful and now we want to run them on a weekly basis so we need to apply for a license."
If approved the club night would take place every Thursday and see punters pay entry on-the-door.
A spokesman for Shropshire Council said: "Anyone wishing to make representations should do so in writing to Licensing Team Leader, Shropshire Council, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, by March 6."
