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The Strip Club at the End of My Street?!

By Kate Smurthwaite

How would you react to the prospect of your local bar being granted a licence to become a strip pub? Residents and businesses in Stoke Newington have taken action.

I moved to Stoke Newington in 2004, to one of the thousands of three-bedroom Victorian terraces that attract more young families every year but are also home to an unbelievably diverse community.Ìý

The fantastic range of restaurants reflects this with everything from Turkish grills to Thai, Indian and new trendy gastro-pubs popping up every week.Ìý

Itâ€™s an area thatâ€˜s going places, community groups are springing up.Ìý This week new trees were planted in my street.

Satchmoâ€™s was the latest trendy bar to open in the area.Ìý

We popped in for drinks and were set to make the place our local except that they werenâ€™t all that friendly.Ìý

"Within a stoneâ€™s throw is a Mosque, a Church, a community centre... oh, and thereâ€™s a primary school too. "

When the bar was quiet they closed at nine, when friends of ours tried to start a comedy show called The Poodle Club downstairs I saw no sign of the posters to promote it around the bar.Ìý

We went back to our old local.ÌýThe Poodle Club moved up the road to the White Hart where the staff rave about it to customers and itâ€™s rammed every week.

Then a letter came through my door from a group called Stop The Strip Pub.Ìý

They had noticed a single A4 sheet of paper stuck in the window of Satchmoâ€™s announcing their intention to apply for a licence to offer table and pole-dancing daily from 11am until the early hours of the morning.Ìý

I wasnâ€™t even sure whether to believe it but I went along to the protest just in case.Ìý Now Iâ€™m volunteering every hour I can spare to canvas support for the objections.

Support

The reaction has been incredible.Ìý People that Iâ€™ve talked to want to sign letters, take petitions for their friends and put up posters.Ìý

People thank me for letting them know.Ìý Offers of support have come flooding in.Ìý

Local businesses have offered meeting space, free drinks and one local resident insisted on giving me a bowl of her homemade soup!

Support has rolled in from high places too.Ìý

Ken Livingstone offered his â€œfull supportâ€, Diane Abbott said she's â€œhorrifiedâ€ at the proposals.Ìý

Other people supporting the campaign include Mayor of Hackney, Jules Pipe, and all three local ward councillors, two of whom attended the protest.

Objections

Itâ€™s hard to know where to start with the objections â€“ the shop opposite is a Turkish wedding shop.Ìý

By tradition many such weddings start at the dress shop and itâ€™s common to see women in sumptuous dresses gathered outside being photographed on their big day.

If the licence goes through these gatherings will be directly in front of the clientele who have stepped outside to smoke between table dances.Ìý

Within a stoneâ€™s throw is a Mosque, a Church (by co-incidence currently involved in a campaign to combat human trafficking by addressing the businesses that provide the demand driving the crime), a community centre, a venue offering Tae Kwon do lessons to children ... oh and thereâ€™s a primary school too.

A young Turkish woman living on the same residential street as Satchmoâ€™s went in to ask what was planned.Ìý The reaction?Ìý She was asked if she had come in to audition.

Evidence collected by the Lilith report suggests a marked increase in rape, sexual assault and harassment in areas where strip clubs have opened up.

The news lately has had a sinister feel for women.Ìý Between Stephen Wright, Levi Bellfield and Mark Dixie, itâ€™s never been clearer we live in an age where attitudes towards women are broken and need fixing.Ìý

What exactly is the argument FOR a strip club in a residential area?

Residents and local businesses have until 25th March to lodge their complaints and can find out how to do so at our website. Click on the link up on the right hand side of the page.

Kate Smurthwaite is an award winning comedienne and blogger.

Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ London asked Scott Davis, the manager of Satchmo's, to comment on local objections to the application for a Sex Encounter Licence. He feels the fears of the Stop the Strip Pub campaigners are unfounded:

Satchmo's bar is looking to re-invent itself as a modern and stylish cocktail bar offering dj's, live sports and adult entertainment including burlesque, pole dancing and table dancing.

While it is certainly within everyone's right to voice their opinion, unfortunately our application is being opposed by a small group of local residents who basically don't want it in 'their back yard'.

I personally held a meeting for this group in the hope of educating them on our application and where it stands in today's society but was met by a bunch of people who had already made their minds up.

Stringent regulations

None of them know this part of the licensed industry yet they voiced several unfounded quotes which I hope now to address.

With any new application of this kind, comes stringent regulations, operating procedures, policies, standards and close relationships with all local authorities.Ìý

These cover safety of the public and staff on and off the premise, crime prevention and security to name but a few.

On top of this the venue management, although licensed, are further assessed by the police to make sure they are suitable operators.

These are measures rarely exercised in other parts of the licensed trade and ones that are put in place to ensure the safety of the public.

Issues and concerns

On the issue of exposing children to the adult industry: We plan to open only in the evenings, long after school children have made their way home.

On the off chance of children or youths wandering past at night security would prevent them loitering near to the premise.

On the issue of bringing undesirables to the area: We intend to operate a well run business that will not attract undesirables.

There are Sauna's and full sex clubs already operating in this area!

The people you fear we will attract are already being catered for locally on a level far beyond our application.

I haven't heard of any local problems relating to these businesses.

On the issue of proximity to local residents and churches: We wish to work closely with local community groups to address any concerns they may have.

We can ensure the professional running of the venue and the standard of clientele on the premise.

London is extremely built up and because of this, we all live within reach of things that may not cater to us personally but also have a place in society.

We do have great support from many locals, including families and business owners and welcome any enquiry from the local community.

last updated: 12/05/2008 at 17:01
created: 20/03/2008

Have Your Say

The End
"A small group of residents" - ie over 100 of them - turned up to the hearing to see Hackney Council refuse the license. None of the local people, families or business owners who "supported" Satchmo's turned up. What a surprise. Finally this nonsense is over.

Stephanie P
No. They are degrading to women - not just the dancers - but other women (such as the wives and girlfriends whose partners pay to see other women take their clothes off. We seem to be going back a few decades in the gender equality stakes and it's very depressing.

J Beard
PLEASE DONT LET THIS HAPPEN. THERE IS A PLACE FOR THESE PLACES BUT ITS NOT IN A MULTI-RACIAL FAMILLY RESIDENTIAL AREA. PLEASE SAVE THIS FROM HAPPENING.

Rita
Some of you may know about a campaigning group called 'object'. The objective of their campaign is to bring lap dancing clubs, which do not currently have to apply for sex encounter licenses, into line with the sex encounter legislation, so that such clubs would have to apply to local authorities for their activities to be licensed.The 'object' campaign is based on there being a clear link between increased demand for the buying of sex and the phenomenon of human trafficking for sexual exploitation. (Anderson and O'Connell Davidson, 2003)The point is that lap dancing (not currently regarded as a sex encounter) - leads to increased demand for purchase of sex - leads to human trafficking. Satchmo's is already applying for a sex encounter license, and so is some way ahead on that scale. Do libertarians really care so little for the human consequences of their libertarian 'ideals'? Probably not, presumably because they are rarely faced with the stark reality nor are they the ones left having to pick up the pieces. Note that those in favour are overwhelmingly male. If you want to personalise this and attack Kate in this way, you won't mind me asking what you do in your spare time?

Danny
Just stumbled upon this - I'm a local resident - let me get this straight - a bunch of people who can't even run a successful pub (I've never seen more than 4 people in this place) expect to be able to run a successful 'stylish' (cough) strip pub?!?!! "We can ensure the professional running of the venue and the standard of clientele on the premise." Why don't I feel re-assured in ANY way by that?

Jane T
Looks like there will be an interesting debate on May 6th. Personally I'm looking forward to hearing the argument FOR a strip pub in a residential area. That should be very, very amusing.

Louie
Well I had never heard of this Kate before this, so great for her own publicity. Noticed that when someone disagreed with her point of view on her blog it was quickly removed. Strikes me that she is using this to promote herself but has difficulties with valid discussions. Having looked at a version of the Lilith report the "facts" are pretty hard to prove.

Sammy
I've been to this pub - it's rubbish. It has the atmosphere of the moon.

Ackney
Just read a letter in today's Hackney Gazette - 525 letters of complaint from local residents and businesses...someone's not being exactly truthful are they Mr Davis?

Slightly Upset
I recently made comments on Kates blog challenging her thinking, rather than responding with a sensible discussion she deleted the comments that did not correspond with her way of thinking. She raise her right to protest within this and yet anyone who challenges her opinion is automatically dismissed. The unfortunate point is that by not accepting that there are other opinions she denies the individual rights to voice their views in a discourse. Of course this helps raise her profile which considering until now I had never heard of her is all go in her opinion. If she is so certain that striptease venues are the cause of rapes etc I would like to see the police statistics that backs this. Tony certainly seems to have an understanding of the issues.

Keith
Stoke Newington is full of people who have 'nothing better to do' than protest about anything and everything. The strip pub protest has almost universal appeal, hence the 500+ signatures - but as someone else rightly points out, London is a busy place and we have to accept that people want to do things that may be objectionable to us. This bar is on a busy main road with plenty of people around at any time of the day or night, this bar will make very little difference. Why not object to the Wetherspoon's down the road which from my experience has more than its fair share of drunken arguments outside? Anyway in the meantime the garish red 'Stop the strip pub' posters are great advertising!

Tony
The claims of the Lilith report and not statistically accurate due to the difficulty obtaining information broken down not just by post code but also what other bars and clubs are in the area. Venues are so tightly monitored that any issues are very unlikely. Striptease venues around London in residential areas already exist in other locations, these do not have a high incidence of violence towards women however fear mongering by politician who are deperate to be re-elected and need to be seen to do something encourage thinking that has no foundation. Having spoken to people within operation Sapphire they do not link striptease venues with the claims being made. I would suggest that people need to do proper research that clearly defines information sources and how they relate and interact.

Archie Tect
I'm a local resident. I've seen the Stop the Strip Pub posters in the windows of local houses and shops. I thought I didn't care about this issue. But come on - 525 local people have complained. Even the owners of Satchmo's must realise that they've seriously offended all their neighbours.

Macca
I live a few streets away. I'm a young bloke who lives with 4 mates. Obviously I'm quite up for the strip club - anything has to be an improvement on the rubbish bar that's there at the moment. But reading the comments here and in light of the number of objections from local people I actually don't think Satchmo's should be allowed to do this. There are plenty of places for people who want to go to a strip club. Why don't they just show the footie and put on some decent food? They'd get the young male crowd if they did that.

Hutton
So why did the Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ allow this guy Scott Davis to have his say? I'm assuming they thought he'd give an accurate depiction of the situation. Incredibly naive.

Conor
Let's just hope Hackney Council pay attention to the 525 local residents and businesses who wrote to them to complain about this outrageous application. All will be revealed on May 6th...

Cassie
Will the local families that are FOR the strip pub be appearing at the hearing on May 6th? Seems somewhat unlikely doesn't it...

Karl
I'm looking forward to the public hearing - Tuesday May 6th at 7pm. Let's see if Satchmo's will still be claiming that their "application is being opposed by a small group of local residents". That would be funny.

Shane
Well, here's another dumb a.. trying to tarnish a nice place,1. to make money of course2. Wonder who the manager is kidding by saying that they are trying to reinvent the pub into a more stylish one-regardless ITS STILL POLE DANCING!!!3. What part does Scott Davis not understand - Family Housing, Schools-WHERE YOUR CHILDREN GO TO,Whether Church or Mosque is so close.4.Do we need to remind him of sex offences,crime, drunk fights getting out of hand and tarnishing a community's reputation?5. Scott Davis would only feel the pain if a woman relative of his walks by and get the sexist looks and thoughts from those horny guys coming out of that bar.6. What has come to old quiet and beautiful communities? Tells you how much humans don't really care about other's well being on this planet

Adrian
As a local resident living just around the corner from Satchmo's. At one point i even use to frequent the place, but since i have learned of their plans to change the place into a strip club i have decided that Satchmo's is not the type of place i would like to be associated with. I am opposed to the strip club license, and will always oppose anything like that in our area.

Freddy H
Wish there was one at the end of my street, I think it should be compulsory in every neighbourhood!

Kim
Yet more hard evidence against Satchmo's claims - 525 local residents and businesses oppose your strip pub - how does that make you feel?

Baz
Just stumbled upon this - I'm a resident from a neighbouring street. Reading Scott Davis' comments for the first time I was willing to believe his claims about local support. Then I read some of the comments here about the 525 letters of complaint that have been sent to the council. Clearly this Scott Davis is quite simply not telling the truth - was the Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ not being just a little naive when it invited him to have his say?

jp winter
525 complaints? OK I take back my earlier comments. Obviously people don't actually want this. Fair play.

Henrik
So 525 people - a mixture of local residents and businesses - put pen to paper and sent letters of objection to Hackney Council - a new record for the borough. Does Scott Davis stil think the people who object are "a small group of local residents"? Can he show us any of these "local families and business owners" who support him? Or did he just make this up?

Another Local Resident
Local residents are incredibly angry that Satchmoâ€™s management have applied for this license in an area that is full of family housing, schools and places of worship. We very much hope that the 525 complaints that the community have now sent to the council will be an end to this nasty attempt at profiteering at the expense of all who live here.

Cate
No, I don't have to go in it, you are right Lisa. The problem isn't that I have to go in it, but that the men who go in have to come back out again. Into my neighbourhood. No thanks.

Hilary Caprani
There is plenty of evidence that the number of attacks on women increase in the area when a sex club opens up, the Lillith Report is one good example. So, the comment "you don't have to go in" is slightly missing the point. The problem, is not whether women have to go in, but that the men who go in there have to come back out. Quite apart from these (very real) dangers, the opening of any place like this sends a clear signal to everyone that it is ok to commodify women's bodies. By opening this kind of club this kind of attitude to women is promoted and given validation and women like me and hundreds of others have to live with the consequences.

Dana Allen
You say: "We wish to work closely with local community groups". Why then did you not consult with ANYONE before you put in this highly offensive application?

Bonza!
Great news - more strip clubs - GOOD! When does it open and can I be the first member ? Email me at get@lifelocalresidents.com

Donna Kay Walters
I dont live over there , but from other places i,ve lived , such an endever always brings prostitution . which is a world concern with AIDS being every where in all walks of life .

Sarah
I may not have to go in it but I'll have to walk past it and as a woman I will inevitably be affected by the sexist attitudes these places say are perfectly ok.

Emma
Yes but Lisa, have you ever experienced the harassment you get from groups of guys leaving these places? They're horny, they're drunk, and they're full of the idea that every woman's body is for sale. These places turn streets into no-go areas for women after dark regardless of if we go in or not.

Am I Bothered
I wonder is all these ladies would object to a male strip club ?

Dirty Bertie
pint of beer and pair of bongos - lovely!

CS
Where are these families that support your strip club on our residential street? My two teenage daughters don't - that's for sure.

hmmmmm
So you 'plan' to open 'only in the evenings'? That's worrying vague isn't it? Why then did you apply for a licence to allow you to open at 11am?

Josie
'A small group'? How dare you?

Jaz
A 'small group'? Shame on you for belittling a community wide protest - and shame on the Âé¶¹Ô¼ÅÄ for publishing this nonsense. I was there at the protest - with my husband and 90 fellow neighbours. Since then all my neighbours have written letters of complaint to the council and I have been proud to visit shops displaying the Stop the Strip Pub posters. This neighbourhood is deeply offended.

Julie
Wouldn't "full sex clubs" be prostitution? If so why isn't Mr Davis reporting them to the police?I have no objection to strip bars and clubs but I agree that this doesn't seem to be an appropriate place to have one. I really think these guys should rethink - won't they be losing any local trade by doing this?

Dom
Hang on - 'there are saunas and full sex clubs already operating in this area'? That's not true. There was one sauna operating in Lower Clapton Road - and there were massive problems with this place. I should know I live there. After a lengthy campaign we've only just got the place shut down.

Colin
As a fully paid up member of the 'pro strip club lobby' even I can see the problems of this proposal. Why have a strip pub in a residential area? There's plenty other places to go. Doesn't make sense.

Mal
Families are supporting a strip pub!?!?! Ha ha! That really made me laugh. Brilliant.

Dave
As a resident of a neighbouring street, I was amazed and appalled when a neighbour informed me of Satchmo's plans - fortunately she had noticed the small sign on the window of the pub that was the only information available to local residents. Since then I have been inspired by the way our whole local community has stood together to voice its objection to this proposal. Bizarrely, Scott Davis refers to 'a small group of local residents' who are opposed to his plans. This does nothing but underline his ignorance of and disrespect for the local community he is supposed to be serving. Look again at the picture of the protest outside Mr Davis' pub. This is no â€˜small groupâ€™. This is the protest of an entire community united against a strip club on a residential street.

Taz
I am a young woman who walks past this place late at night and will certainly be changing my route home if the application is successful. It would be madness to allow such an establishment to open in such close proximity to schools, residents and religious places of worship. Has this Scott guy not even given a second thought to his neighbours? Maybe if he had done so the place might be busier than it is now.Satchmoâ€™s obviously spent a lot of money doing the place up and it seems such a shame to not to encourage the locals through the door rather than antagonise them.

jp winter
yes if thats what the people want i see no reason for objections.and where is not a residential street in london most areas are in easy reach of the public Good luck to the strip club.

Hilary Caprani
As a local resident, and young female frequenting this area in the evening I am vehemently opposed to the plans and consider that the opening of such a club would be an insult to women and present a danger to their safety.

Lisa
You don't have to go in it.

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