Sex shop gets go-ahead
CONTROVERSIAL plans to open the county's largest sex shop in Guyhirn have been given the go-ahead by Fenland Council's licensing committee.
Dozens of protestors packed Fenland's council chamber for today's (Tuesday) hearing on Tony Ibrahim's application for a sex establishment licence at the former Little Chef restaurant on the A47.
Seven opponents spoke on behalf of obejectors and raised an array of issues during the hearing.
They claimed the sex shop would lower the tone of the area and give the wrong impression of Fenland to visitors.
Guyhirn villager Marilyn Hyde told the committee she would be unable to sell her home if the sex shop got the go-ahead.
"If the application is agreed my house is worthless. Who will want to buy it?" said Mrs Hyde, who claimed her property overlooks the proposed site.
Justine Sands, headteacher of Guyhirn school, said the site was undesirable for such a venture and explained children have to look at their local environment as part of the National Curriculum - the sex shop would be part of their environment.
She also pointed out the premises were close to a bus stop used by children, who would be able to see the shop.
Paul Carpenter, of Guyhirn Action Group, argued there were a number of valid reasons why the application should be refused.
He said other local authorities used criteria such as the close proximity to community leisure facilities, nearness to residential areas and also whether or not the site is close to a main access or gateway to a specific area to refuse applications.
And he urged Fenland to adopt those same criteria to determine local applications like Mr Ibrahim's.
Other concerns included traffic safety, children being enticed into the sex shop, and customers from the shop 'wooing' children.
Solicitor Steve MacGregor, who represented Mr Ibrahim, said his client had chosen to apply for a licence, but could have opened an unlicensed premises and the council would have had no control over the business.
He pointed out that even if the application is refused the site would still become a sex shop as a licence is only needed for around one per cent of goods Mr Ibrahim wants to sell.
A licence is only needed for certain videos and DVDs - the remaining 99 per cent can be sold without a licence, and Mr MacGregor pointed out that without the premises being licensed the local authority would have no control.
The council would not have any say in how the premises are painted, what is displayed in the windows and what advertising there is on the site.
But Mr MacGregor said Mr Ibrahim wanted to do things right and he is happy to be under the council's control.
Mr MacGregor said Mr Ibrahim had three years' experience in the trade, having run an adult shop at Thorney Toll.
"He is a man of impeccable character," said Mr MacGregor.
The panel took around an hour to make a decision and agreed to grant the licence for 12 months subject conditions, which included having control over the colour used to paint out the windows.
Speaking afterwards Mr Ibrahim said he was pleased with the decision and explained: "I could have opened a shop straight away, but I didn't out of respect to Fenland District Council.
"I wanted to do it the right way and having a licence is the right way. This way it is controlled by the licensing authority and if there is something they don't like then I will be told to change it.
"Times have changed, and I'm sure that a few weeks down the line, when it has opened, it will just be the shop on the corner."
Mrs Hyde agreed it was better to have a licencesd sex shop than an unlicensed premises but added: "I would rather it just didn't happen at all."
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Thursday 17 May 2012
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