Edinburgh council due to decide this aftenoon on whether to ban strip clubs

Councillors are due to decide this afternoon whether to ban strip clubs in Edinburgh.
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But first the regulatory committee will hear from 11 separate deputations arguing for and against the move.

New powers allow councils to adopt a licensing regime for sexual entertainment venues and set a limit on the number to be allowed – which can be zero.

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Committee convener Cathy Fullerton of the SNP and Green councillor Susan Rae are proposing a limit of four - the number of such venues currently operating in Edinburgh. But Labour and the Conservatives have both tabled proposals for a zero limit. A decision on the issue has already been postponed for legal advice.

This afternoon's meeting is the very last of any committee in the current council's five-year term before the elections in May.

The deputations due to put their case to the councillors include representatives from the Equally Safe Edinburgh Committee, who argue for a zero limit. In a written submission to the committee, they say; "The existence of sexual entertainment venues conveys a message that the objectification of women is culturally acceptable. Most concerning is the evidence that this approach is perceived as giving men license to trick or coerce women into sexual activity.

"The existence of sexual entertainment venues in a city are discriminatory towards women who feel at best unwelcome, and at worst unsafe in the vicinity, with many experiencing harassment and abuse by the men frequenting such establishments."

There are currently four "sexual entertainment venues" in EdinburghThere are currently four "sexual entertainment venues" in Edinburgh
There are currently four "sexual entertainment venues" in Edinburgh
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Another deputation is from United Sex Workers, who are opposed to a ban on strip clubs. Their written submission says: "No nil-cap has ever fully stopped stripping from occurring, it has only pushed it into more unsafe spaces such as AirBnBs, hotels and private homes. If the council are concerned with women’s safety, then the answer is not to restrict and remove the rights and safe workplaces of the women working in the Edinburgh strip clubs."

"If the nil-cap is implemented, over 100 workers will be forced into unemployment, or to make the decision between working in unlicensed and unregulated venues without the protection of CCTV and security, putting ourselves at increased risk, or entering a benefits system which has been cut drastically."

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