Town centre sex shop licence denied

An application for a sex shop licence for a shop on The Walk in Rochdale Town Centre has been turned down by Councillors on the Regulatory Committee.

Councillors said that while they were not averse to having this type of business in the town, all agreed that The Walk was a poor choice of location for a sex shop.

Councillor Irene Davidson said: "I would refuse the licence because this is a unique part of Rochdale Town Centre and a major part of the future redevelopment. If it was anywhere else I would seriously look at the possibility. The Walk is just not the place for a business like this."

Chairman of the Regulatory Committee Ashley Dearnley said: "I have no problem with the idea but this is a main route into the town centre and it is very narrow so people would not be able to walk easily past if they were offended by such an establishment."

The applicant for the licence, Emma Bannister, from Bury, insisted that no offensive items would be put in the shop window and that the establishment would be secure, with no minors allowed to enter the premises.

Until recently the premises had been a sex shop, before it was forced to close down for financial reasons but councillors countered that if they had been the ones that decided the licence originally they would not have granted it.

Councillor Dale Mulgrew said: "I would not have granted the licence in the first place and I take that line now."

He was supported by Councillor Alan McCarthy, who said: "It might have been acceptable in the past but it is not now." 

Eight Councillors on the committee refused the application, with Councillor Greg Couzens unable to vote because his own business stands on The Walk.

The Council had received three letters of objection to the proposed sex shop from members of the public who feared that the shop would be offensive to town centre visitors.

One of the letters read: "This will do nothing to the much needed improvement in Rochdale's image, in fact just the opposite. Also this is an area where we all have to pass to access Rochdale centre and we should not be forced to confront this shop or its clientele."