Committee grants licence for strip club - but council as landlord blocks change of use

A strip-club operator has been granted a sexual entertainment venue licence by a local authority’s licensing committee – only to see the council, as landlord of the property, block the club on the grounds that it would be a breach of the terms of the lease.

The business, Thomas-Bellis Leisure, successfully applied for the SEV licence for the proposed venue in Swansea’s York Street. The club would be located next to a Grade II listed Baptist chapel.

But Swansea Council, which owns the building, has refused to agree with its tenant, Mopellan Investments, to the change in use.

A council spokesman told the South Wales Evening Post that the licensing committee had agreed to Thomas-Bellis’ application in principle, and imposed some 63 conditions.

He added: "Following the committee's meeting the council has had to review all of the relevant issues, including the conditions and reasons, prior to finalising the decision and the council's position.

"However, the proposed use as a sex entertainment venue does not comply with the terms of the property lease.”

The spokesman said that as landlord, the council would have to agree to any change of use for a sex entertainment venue, and in this case would not recommend that the change be allowed.

He said: “This means that while the applicant has a sex entertainment venue licence, it cannot go ahead with the planned activities under the terms of the property lease. The lease is a separate issue to the license application and could not be considered by the committee."