Aberdeen could impose a limit of only six lap dancing and strip clubs within the city boundaries, as authorities look to crack down on human trafficking and violence against women.
New sexual entertainment venue (SEV) licensing rules will come into force on December 1, having been delayed by 11 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Councillors delayed the new regime after seeing insufficient input from citizens, performers and proprietors in their online consultations.
But over the last year, more feedback has been sought from city organisations like Aberdeen Cyrenians, Grampian Rape Crisis, Grampian Regional Equality Council, Grampian Women’s Aid, Parentline and the Scottish Children’s Reporter – among others.
What would Aberdeen’s new sexual entertainment venue licensing policy mean?
And the proposed licensing policy, which could agreed by councillors at a special meeting on Wednesday, suggests a new limit is imposed on the sexual entertainment industry.
If backed, the council would restrict the number of SEVs in the city centre to six – with no scope for any other venues elsewhere in Aberdeen.
The move would limit the opening of any further venues in Aberdeen without another closing, it is understood – and keep the businesses within the area with the majority of the city’s pubs and nightclubs.
Police Scotland gave input to the last consultation, telling council staff “there can only be a positive impact of regulating such activity” – including increased safety for both customers and performers.
By regulating SEVs, lawmakers hope to create a safer working environment in the industry, as concerns about violence against women working in it remain.
The Scottish Government includes commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution, lap dancing, stripping, pornography and human trafficking within its definition of violence – and licensing is argued to offer a better chance of scrutinising those running the establishments.
It will also potentially help steer new SEVs away from residential areas, schools, places of worship, charity shelters and refuges, retail, sport and family centres, as well as historic and cultural landmarks.
Licensing will also empower authorities to consider whether an area of the city is known for incidents of human trafficking and exploitation – or other crime such as assault or anti-social behaviour.
Sexual entertainment venue licensing consultation must happen now – if new rules are to come into play in Aberdeen in December
Next week’s vote is for councillors to agree the draft policy before one final round of public consultation.
In order to follow the law themselves, the local authority needs to ultimately vote through the final policy by the end of next month if the rules are to come into force on December 1 as planned.
While lap dancing and strip clubs are the obvious venues classed as providing sexual entertainment, the law’s broad definitions means other could be classed similarly.
Any place – a vehicle, vessel, stall or commercial property – providing live performances with nudity to an audience of only one for financial gain would qualify.
Tony Cochrane, who owns the Private Eye chain with two premises in Aberdeen, said, through the last round of public consultation: “SEVs have no harmful impact. We have operated in Aberdeen for 23 years and have no issues.
“They are low key operations and create no problems.
“A positive of licensing would be for no undue financial burden imposed on SEVs and performers and sensible rules out in place to ensure the well-run businesses continue to operate in a good manner and any rogue operators are closed down just as in any other sector.
“SEVs have no real impact on surrounding communities as these businesses never have any issues outwith the premises, unlike other licensed premises.
“They have no rowdy customers leaving at closing time and tend to have small capacities and customers attendance spread out over the evening and zero issues at closing time.”