A strip club in Manchester city centre will continue operating for another year after refuting that their ‘no touch’ rule is regularly breached.
Baby Platinum, which has been on Princess Street in the city centre for well over a decade, will operate for another 12 months following its annual licence renewal meeting. The lap dancing bar faced two objections at the licensing sub-committee, both of which related to concerns over the ‘commoditisation of women for the sexual pleasure of men’.
Objectors added that research suggested that breaches to existing licence conditions is commonplace in sexual entertainment venues (SEVS), with the ‘no-touching’ rule regularly breached.
READ MORE: Six-month-old baby dies following crash at car park
READ MORE: Man suffers ‘serious injuries’ after horror sledging incident in Greater Manchester
But Claire Morris, representing ABA Leisure Ltd, the firm which owns Baby Platinum, told the hearing at Manchester Town Hall the claims were from research that had no direct link to Baby Platinum, which she said was a well-run and established club.
Baby Platinum Gentleman’s Lounge, Princess Street, Manchester -Credit:Manchester Evening News
“They are tarring Baby Platinum with a particularly unpleasant brush,” she said. “The performers would be insulted that they had offered sex in the way it has been implied.
“If this did happen the premises would have been investigated and we would hear about it today.”
She added that if serious breaches of the club’s licence had happened, authorities including the police would have been present at the hearing but they weren’t. Ms Morris pointed out that Baby Platinum has had its SEV licence renewed 12 years in a row and has an unblemished record.
Kay Miller, one of the directors of ABA Leisure Ltd, added that they have seen an increase in women attending Baby Platinum, stressing it was not just for men. She said CCTV is in operation within the venue and that panic buttons are installed in each private booth as well as at the bars.
Baby Platinum Gentleman’s Lounge, Princess Street, Manchester -Credit:Manchester Evening News
An objector at the meeting, identifying themselves as Sam, believed renewing this licence was not in line with Manchester Council’s White Ribbon accreditation. The White Ribbon is a commitment to preventing harassment, abuse and violence against women and girls through promoting gender equality.
Ms Morris responded by highlighting that this accreditation was given to the council three years ago, when Baby Platinum was operating in the city, and the bar being open didn’t impact on that accreditation.
The three-person licensing and appeals panel, chaired by Coun Glynn Evans, decided to approve the renewal of the SEV licence for another year.