Aurora New Dawn was proud to be among a group of 7 deputations made to Portsmouth City Council concerning the relocation of lap-dancing club Elegance to a property on Albert Road.

The Council’s Planning Committee voted unanimously to reject the application from local lap-dancing club owner, Paul Ojla.

We have a number of reasons why we object to the application.

First and foremost, Aurora New Dawn supports the women’s bodies are not a commodity to be bought and sold, acknowledging the United Nations’ Convention to Eliminate Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which calls on the government to reduce the objectification of women to advance gender equality.

This requirement was highlighted by remarks from the UN Special Rapporteur earlier this year, who said there was “a more visible presence of sexist portrayals of women and girls” and a “marketisation of women’s and girls’ bodies” in the UK, which was more pervasive than elsewhere.

The Gender Equality Duty (2007) places a legal obligation on Portsmouth City Council to ensure that their decisions do not have a negative impact on women’s equality and require the Council to actively promote gender equality and to work towards countering gender stereotypes.

Lap-dancing is an industry staffed almost exclusively by women for male clientele, so the Council’s policy on lap-dancing falls under the Duty. Recognition of the gendered nature of the industry played a role in the campaign for the Council to introduce an SEV Policy for the city, which was passed in 2012.

The SEV Policy commits the Council to a ‘Nil Cap’ on any further lap-dancing clubs in the city. While Elegance has a license for its premises in Granada Road, as SEV licenses are non-transferable, re-locating the club would trigger the Council’s nil cap policy.

The proposed site is immediately adjacent to the Wedgewood Rooms, a nationally well known and popular performance venue attracting large numbers of young people, including under 16s, making it wholly inappropriate as a location for a sexual entertainment venue (SEV).

Although the decision was made unanimously and supported by a local campaign led by councillors, Mr Ojla is entitled to appeal the decision.

Speaking about the appeal, Shonagh Dillon, Chief Executive of Aurora New Dawn, “We’re delighted that the local campaign against the move has been so successful.

“If Mr Ojla decides to appeal, we look forward to campaigning again to uphold the decision, and ensuring that Portsmouth City Council keeps its own SEV licensing policy, approved in 2012.”

Aurora was an active partner in the campaign to introduce the SEV policy, alongside the Solent Feminist Network and local residents.

We’re delighted to see a high level of media interest in today’s licensing committee meeting to decide whether to impose a nil cap on Sexual Entertainment Venues in Portsmouth.

You can hear Chief Exec, Shonagh Dillon talking to Radio Solent about Aurora New Dawn’s decision to support the nil cap here – Shonagh Dillon on BBC Solent.

Due to the high level of misunderstanding on the implications of the nil cap during the Licensing Committee meeting, the city’s legal advisor intervened on several occasions to reiterate to councillors what the nil cap actually meant.

She explained that such a cap would, in effect, not constitute a ban of lap dancing clubs nor would it necessarily compel  local councillors from refusing planning or licensing permission to new or existing clubs. However, the nil cap introduces what is referred to as a ‘Rebuttable Presumption’, in effect a clear starting point for the local authority to state its position that lap-dancing clubs are not desirable for the city.

If the nil cap were accepted without amendment, the ‘Rebuttable Presumption’ would place responsibility with existing or new clubs to demonstrate their economic and social value to the city and local communities.

Members of the Licensing Committee reached a decision not to introduce the nil cap without amendment, voting by a clear majority to accept the amended Option 2.

This amendment now effectively exempts the 3 existing clubs in the city and 1 with planning permission for a 4th from being refused www.point-moneygram.com ‘renewal, variation or transfer’ of their existing licences, placing them beyond the jurisdiction of the nil cap adopted for applications from potential new clubs.

Responding to the Council’s decision, Shonagh Dillon stated:

“Aurora New Dawn and Portsmouth White Ribbon’s position is very clear on this matter: as long as SEV’s are in existence in communities, we are in a position where women’s bodies can be seen as a commodity to be bought and sold.

We would also respectfully state that whilst SEV’s are continuing to be licensed, Local Authorities will be working in direct contradiction to the Gender Equality Duty 2007 and the UN Treaty for Women. Our campaign will continue with other groups nationally including Object, The Fawcett Society and White Ribbon UK.”