No sex please, we’re Telford
Wednesday 23rd November 2011, 3:00PM GMT.
A blanket ban could be slapped on lap-dancing clubs and sex shops opening up in Telford, it was revealed today.
The borough could become an adult entertainment-free zone under radical plans to clean it up. A group of seven councillors have signed a motion requesting the town becomes one of the first in the country to adopt a ‘nil’ policy on the sex trade.
It would give Telford & Wrekin Council’s licensing committee the power to throw out any applications for sex establishments in the town.
Those looking to open sex shops or strip clubs would also be denied the right of appeal.
The motion will be discussed at the next meeting of the authority’s licensing committee on Tuesday.
Labour councillor Rae Evans is leading the call, backed by party colleagues Bill McClements, Chris Turley, Leon Murray, Jackie Loveridge and Brian Duce. Lib Dem leader Gillian Green also backs the plan.
The group has submitted a letter to the licensing committee asking them to consider imposing a ban, or at the very least, stringent controls.
In it, Councillor Evans says: “Research shows that the structural conditions of lap-dancing clubs, where women compete with one another for private dances, lead to some dancers offering sexual services to survive financially.
“Research further shows that strip clubs increase demand for nearby prostitution services.
“The links between the expansion of lap-dancing clubs and an increase in the levels of sexual violence have been raised by organisations who work with victims and perpetrators of gender-based violence.”
Councillor Evans said a nil policy was currently being proposed by the London boroughs of Hackney and Haringey.
Councillor Green added: “I am particularly concerned about the welfare of vulnerable young people, particularly women, in the borough of Telford & Wrekin. Sometimes these establishments can be an attraction for vulnerable young people.”
Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman Russell Griffin said the licensing committee would consider all information before making a determination based on the information.
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Wahahahahahahahahahahaha…
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA..
WAAAAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
This is a joke, surely?
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what gives 7 idiots to say what the whole of telford want my self am interested but dont you think thats the desision of the people of telford not 7 individuals who the hell do they think they are
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That’s democracy at its best for you!
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oh how pathetic.
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Neither lap-dancing clubs or ‘sex’ shops sell sex so how are they part of the sex trade? On this basis Anne Summers should be kicked out the town centre and condoms took off the shelf in supermarkets,Prudes springs to mind..
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This is a joke,they will be telling us wot we can and wot we cant wear next,DONT GO OUT IN THAT SKIRT IT’S TO SHORT,Get a life,and get into the real world.
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That’s right Pete, you wear your skirt as short as you like!
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Do you wear a skirt when you go out Pete?
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Silly me thinking we lived in a free country!
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“The borough could become an adult entertainment-free zone” ??
It already is isn’t it ?
The suggestion of a 2nd cinema backs this up.
Could the council stop thinking about sex (and cinemas),and give us some cultural entertainment in the town please ? it’s very frustrating.
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“it’s very frustrating.”
Hurry up and get that fixed before all the sex shops get closed down.
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Another ban for legitimate businesses to set up do they not think that business visitors from abroad will laugh at our riduculous regulations and red tape its a wonder we attract any new investors from abroad with this pathetic bunch of puritans on the council.
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Get a grip all your doing is plunging us into a victorian time where sex is wrong. I want my kids to know that its normal for consenting adults to have sex when in a loving relationship
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Just what we need at last a directive from TWC.
Next on the agenda is selecting a parade marshall, at great expense, to march everyone over the age of 15 to church every Sunday to ask God to help save us from elected idiots.
What total rubbish
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This just shows what a backward thinking nation we are!!
In Bonn, Germany, they have installed ‘parking meters’ in areas where soliciting for sex is allowed. This is in response to workers in sex establishments having to pay tax and complaining that street worker don’t.
We should make Telford the National Capital for Sex and tax it to the hilt. A little Las Vegas in the desert of rural Shropshire.
I apologise for attaching the Telegraph link regarding Bonn – no offence to the Shropshire Star, but I feel the Councillors would benefit with broadening their reading material.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/8731046/Bonn-prostitutes-to-use-parking-meters.html
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Rediculous
jobs are jobs, business is business to drive out good businesses because of some ideological / religious / old fashioned view of a couple of councillors is rediculous
The council has a Statutory duty to promote economic growth and should remember who funds them with their business rates not try to interfere with business
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I have no objection to sex shops or lap dancing clubs but I would insist that lap dancing clubs have a crèche facility available for customers’ children.
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didnt know their was any plans for them tbf
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Is this subject really top of their priorities?! So the future of Telford depends on these 7 individuals?! No wonder Telford isn’t moving forward and is light years behind every other town and city! Google ‘boring town uk’ and see which town comes up first! It’s about time we got rid of these clueless pre-historic idiots and replaced them with some new, fresh and forward thinking people with ideas to put Telford really on the map. Telford is just a low level town, with empty factories and a dated shopping centre. Telford needs more culture, it needs it’s own identity, we need to attract businesses to the town to move forward. We desperately need a univeristy, to educate locals and bring young talented people to Telford. It’s about time the people of Telford got together and drowned out the voices of these 7 complete idiots! We should be proud and passionate about telford, yet we are the laughing stock of the Midlands! Sort it out now!
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“Telford needs more culture, it needs it’s own identity, we need to attract businesses to the town to move forward. We desperately need a univeristy, to educate locals and bring young talented people to Telford.”
I agree! More sex shops for Telford!!! All the students at the ‘univeristy’ can pay their way through by working in the lap-dancing clubs! Culture for all!!!!
Educate our young people in the use of the apostrophe in all ITS forms!!!
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This has got be one of the stupidest ideas ever.
All hail the abuse of the underground sex worker which is exactly what they will get if they try and ban sex in Telford!
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Hmmmm. Not sure anyone is actually trying to ban sex in Telford.
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Maybe not yet, but this is the thin end of the wedge!!
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As a 70 year old I hope they don’t ban sex in Shrewsbury It’s the only thing we pensioners get free from tax.
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Sack all seven of these idiots immediately.
Small businesses are dying by the second as it is without opposition from councillors, and frankly I object to my council tax being used to pay for this cluster of ‘worshippers at The Church Of Mary Whitehouse’ to make these sort of ridiculous decisions on my behalf. They have more important work to be getting on with as far as I’m concerned.
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Down with this sort of thing
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Thanks Dougal. Careful now!
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Oh no! what will now happen to my application for a gay lapdancing bar on the old labour in vain site in horsehay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Oh they will approve that no questions as its so un-PC to be homophobic. But a heterosexual establishment? Well that’s different according to these muppets.
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Well said Lucy W !!!!
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What a suprise! There is someone in Shropshore who cares about the vulnerable and exploited, and is prepared to act even against the background of so much ridiculous comment. Good for them.
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Sex shops & lap dancers aren’t street prostitutes get a grip!Typical language of nebulous labour here!
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Boring Telford spot on my friend, I have lived here now for 30 years plus the lovely county of Shropshire and Telford is not pushing forward at all, I read 15 years ago about the new entertainment hub and we get one Wetherspoons and a Kebab shop, thanks!! So instead of pushing forward and making ppl take the money out of the local economy and into Brum, Wolves ect ect we get 7 presumtious fools talking sex shops and lapdancing, chance will be a fine thing, these establishments wont come anywhere near Telford anyway, they like everyone else will take there business elsewhere. Entertainment centre all the faux bar ads down by Wetherspoons been there months and whats the outcome so far a double fronted kebab house, classy!!! Im sure Brindley Place and the multi cultural, open, diverse Brum are quacking in there boots!!
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“quacking in there boots!!”
Conjures up a wonderful image, thanks for the laugh!
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Also to add when will these fools start realising as a town your competing with every town in the Country these days, you have to have diverse nightlife, a modern shopping centre and a forward thinking vibe, I dont want to be negative but the new International Centre development, needs to be marketed and sold properly we need to get Telford on the tip of ppls tongues, we need events, come on the xmas decs are dated, uninspired and why would people come here, I just come back from the Trafford Centre and my god, we are light years behind, light years, sex sells, sex attracts, its modern britain, we need to exmbrace this, as well as a diverse , modern Telford, not be satisfied with a Wetherspoons and 2 Greggs outlets come on get a grip!
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While I am ambivalent on sex shops, if couples want to spice up their sex lives by using sex aids or dressing up then that’s fine by me. I do object to lap dancing clubs however, this is about exploiting women, there’s nothing empowering about it it is degrading. Yes unfortunately sex sells, but that doesn’t make it acceptable to sexually objectify women in such a way. The mainstreaming of lap dancing clubs has had the effect of setting back women’s rights and sex equality by decades, now it’s seemingly ok to be sexist again!
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Do Borough Cllrs in Horsehay know about this licence application?
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Well done Councillors.It is nice to see some brave councillors in this country,who are ready to swim against the majority. What are the benefits of total freedom and modern thinking?
UK is in the top list for teenage crimes,drug usage and sexual voilance.We have to break the ‘Up to you’ culture from the society!
Keep going Councillors….
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