Cheltenham strip club has licence granted amid safety concerns from women's rights groups and church leaders

A controversial strip club licence in Cheltenham has been approved despite serious safety concerns from women’s rights and religious groups. Red Apple Associates Ltd has been granted permission by Cheltenham Borough Council to renew the licence to use the premises at Jessop House, 30 Cambray Place.

The application for the strip club to open to coincide with race days in October, November, December, January, March, during Cheltenham Festival, April and May. The venue, which welcomes up to 500 customers a night, operates as Eroticats and first opened there during Cheltenham Festival last year. It was previously based at the 2 Pigs in Church Street.

Proposals for sex entertainment venues in the spa town continuously spark concerns among women’s rights and religious groups. They were considered by the council’s licensing sub-committee on November 6.

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A spokesperson for Safe Cheltenham, which is residents group advocating for equality and safety for women and girls in the town, raised concerns at the meeting over touching being observed during race week at other SEVs in the spa town.

“During March race week touching between performers and customers was observed on multiple visits by the police and council officers at Under the Prom. I understand that the police issued a written warning to the licence holder. Touching was also observed at MooMoo.

“Breaches of touching conditions were observed during inspections at Cambray Place.”

They said it was a reasonable concern to raise as the licence holder for Under the Prom is the same.

A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (GRASAC) also raised concerns. The group does not condone sexual entertainment venues and asked how seriously the council is taking the concern over the crisis of violence against women and girls.

“The council’s research found 75 per cent of women in Cheltenham feel unsafe in and around the town during race weeks," she said. “While women working in the venue may feel safe to work, local women are telling us that they don’t feel safe enough to conduct their day-to-day life during race week.”

A trustee of Cambray Baptist Church, which is on the opposite side of the street, also objected. They expressed their ongoing hurt at the council’s move to approve an SEV opposite a place of worship.

“We find ourselves fighting for marriage, secure home life when faced opposite the church, an activity designed to undermine the sanctity of marriage and the integrity of family life,” he said. “Once again we find ourselves seeking to run activities for children, youth and families when opposite us we have an activity which is wholly inappropriate for these events and makes the area appear to be a no-go area for families in the evening.”

An Eroticats performer for 13 years before becoming the senior house member who takes care of the dancers also spoke at the meeting. She said she works alongside an excellent team of security staff.

“I would like to emphasise the importance of licensed venues,” she said. She has worked at 30 different venues and said Eroticats was “without doubt” the most “slick well run operation”.

“If I did not wholeheartedly believe this business to be safe and fair I would not be here today. I have encountered a lot of questionable practices over the years and we just want to make sure everyone has a positive experience from start to finish.”

She said she feels unsafe as a woman in Cheltenham generally but said that is an issue independent of Eroticats. Mr Burrows’ legal representative told the committee they were being asked to renew a licence for a venue which has been operating at that location for two years.

He said it has been operating under the licence exemption previously. “We recognise in Cheltenham that there is a balance and that some people may want to go into their churches and pray, judge their neighbour," he said.

“And other people may want to go into their venues and close their doors and dance and entertain themselves and that is perfectly legitimate.”

He told the committee his client was invented by the council to pick a venue and request an SEV licence. “Now we are being criticised for that,” he said. “What we are doing is sacrificing the freedom to operate in an unregulated way in order to engage with you and civil society.”

The committee voted unanimously to grant the SEV licence as applied for. The venue will be allowed to open from 8am to 5am during the Showcase Friday and Saturday in October, the November meeting Friday and Saturday, and the Christmas meeting Friday and Saturday in December.

The licence also allows the strip club to open from 8pm to 5am for the New Year’s Day meeting and the Festive Trials Saturday in January. In March the plans are to open from 8pm to 5am on the Monday of Cheltenham Festival Week and from 6pm to 5am the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of that week with the venue opening from 6pm to 5am on the Saturday.

Eroticats have also been granted permission to open from 8pm to 5am on the April meeting Wednesday and Thursday as well as during the Hunters Showcase Friday in May.

Councillor David Willingham (LD, St Peters) speaking after the meeting said the committee recognises there are a wide range of views about sexual entertainment venues. “They understand and are sympathetic to the concerns raised by objectors, but councils must follow the laws set by Parliament and case law, so legally cannot consider objections on moral grounds," he said.

“In reaching their conclusion, the committee decided regulation provided by licensing is preferable to the risks associated with the use of the exemption and having the activity in a different venue each night and without any enforceable licensing conditions.”