Review of the Council's Sexual Entertainment Policy
Consultation on Inverclyde Council’s Policy regarding Sexual Entertainment Venues (SEVs)
Inverclyde Council is currently consulting in relation to its Sexual Entertainment Venue (SEV) Policy to determine if the policy requires to be renewed or revised.
At it’s meeting of 9 June 2021, the Council’s General Purposes Board passed a resolution to licence SEVs in Inverclyde. This resolution came into effect on 9 June 2022. As a consequence of the current SEV Policy, as at 9 June 2022, anyone who wishes to operate an SEV in Inverclyde must apply to the Council for a licence.
An SEV is defined as any premises at which sexual entertainment is provided before a live audience, and the most common examples are lap dancing or strip clubs. However, the definition is wide enough to cover other premises where sexual entertainment is provided.
In preparing, and reviewing its SEV Policy, a local authority must consider the impact of the licensing of SEVs in their area, having regard, in particular, to how it will affect the objectives of:-
(i) preventing public nuisance, crime and disorder;
(ii) security public safety;
(iii) protecting children and young people from harm;
(iv) reducing violence against women.
In terms of the Council’s current SEV policy the Council has determined that the appropriate number of SEVs within the entirety of Inverclyde will be set at zero. A copy of the Council’s existing SEV Policy can be accessed via the link on this webpage.
It is appropriate that the Council keeps under review its SEV policy and hence the Council is now consulting prior to preparing and publishing its revised SEV policy. A Policy Statement must provide the community with a clear indication of the Council’s policy on SEVs and may include information on the locations where the Council is likely to consider the operation of SEVs to be appropriate or inappropriate.
Should you wish to submit any response to the Council's consultation process, please send your response in writing to licensing.section@inverclyde.gov.uk by no later than Friday 11 April 2025. As part of your response, please confirm whether your provide consent to your response and identity being made public and included within responses due to be considered by the General Purposes Board for the purpose of reviewing the policy.