Talks on extending Shrewsbury lap-dancing nights

Plans put forward by Source Vodka Bar in Barker Street, Shrewsbury, hope to see a lap dancing club above the current bar licensed to run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

The application will be discussed at a meeting of Shropshire Council's licensing act sub-committee on Wednesday when councillors will decide whether or not to give the plans the green light.

Source Bar already has a licence to run lap dancing services downstairs on Thursday nights, but the new licence would let it increase the sessions to three times a week from 9pm to 3am which would be held upstairs.

There would be a separate entrance to the club from the main entrance of the bar, and would see door supervisors on duty at the entrance.

But the plans have come under fire from Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Town Council member Andrew Bannerman who said it goes against the "image Shrewsbury wants to project".

Councillor Bannerman said: "I feel as I have done before – is this something we want to aspire to do, to become the sex entertainment capital of the west side of Birmingham?

"Is that what people really want, that will be the situation we will have. This would be regular sessions going on for half the week and I know that many people and a lot of women find it extremely distasteful.

"I just wonder if that is the image we want to project to people. This is part of a bigger issue as well that establishments are trying to increase their opening hours.

"We are going to project that we are the late night entertainment for everywhere west of Birmingham. There are so many applications in for extending the licences and together it could change the town."

Councillor Bannerman added he was "not at all confident" the application would be turned down. He said: "I am anxious that the premises could say that they have already got the licence so what is the problem with extending it. However, I think this is about how the town is perceived."

The bar, which has previously declined to comment on plans, was unavailable to comment. The plans will be discussed on today in the Ludlow Room at Shirehall.