Lap dancing club plans approved despite objections

The former Cogs venue on Newhall Street

Plans to open a lap dancing club in Birmingham’s business district have been approved despite more than 40 objections.

The application was lodged by Michelle Monaghan, who runs Cyclone Club and Scarlets in the city centre, to open a “sexual entertainment venue” on Newhall Street, converting the former Cogs bar, on the corner of Great Charles Street, into La Belle’s. The scheduled opening hours would be 8pm-6am, seven days a week.

Birmingham City Council’s licensing committee approved the application on Wednesday after a five-hour meeting.

There have been more than 40 official objections from residents and businesses of the area.

In January, Colmore Business Improvement District announced it would lead objections to the plans.

Colmore BID, which represents businesses in and around Colmore Row, said at the time: “Colmore Business District is the premier business area in the city and we do not feel that Newhall Street is a suitable location for a sexual entertainment venue and will therefore be making an objection to the application.”

At a licensing hearing last November for Scarlets, which is in the Southside area of the city centre, the venue successfully made the case that moral objections should not override sexual entertainment venues’ lawful right to exist.

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