Plans for a fourth lap dancing club on Birmingham’s Golden Mile have been hit by objections.
Letters opposing the Broad Street venue, called Paradise, have poured in from businesses, the Repertory Theatre and an MP, all fearing that another club would turn the area into the “red light district of Birmingham.”
There are already three established lap dancing clubs on the road, with the Rocket and Cyclone nightspots vying for trade with Legs 11.
The company behind the latest plan already runs two similar clubs in Manchester and submitted an application for a Sexual Entertainment Venue (SEV) licence in November.
The application will be discussed by the council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee on Wednesday.
Ladywood Labour MP Shabana Mahmood, one of the eight objectors, said: “This application for a SEV, if successful would drastically change the nature of the locality, especially as there are currently three other SEV’s on Broad Street.
“A fourth club would be a further indication that Broad Street was becoming the red light district area in Birmingham.”
The newly refurbished Rep Theatre said in its objection that it feared that a fourth club would place Broad Street “in the ranks of a little Soho.”
The director of furniture shop Lee Longlands, which has been in Broad Street for more than a century, said: “Many of our customers enjoy visiting our store on Broad Street with their children.
“If the council members allow another lap dancing club onto Broad Street I fear that the area will suffer the brandishing of areas such as Soho in London, the associations with the sex trade.”
Mike Olley, Broad Street Manager, said: “The number of SEV’s located on Broad Street and in the city centre is at a critical limit. Broad Street, in particular, has sufficient representation of SEV premises. An additional premises would cause the character of the locality to change.”
West Midlands Police have not voiced any objections.
