Club Phoenix, a proposed pole dancing club in Newport at the site of the old British Legion, has been granted its premise license.
We spoke to the council to get the background, who told us that all objections that had been raised by the public had been answered, which allowed the license to be granted without it needing to pass to the licensing committee. (Full details of the reasoning are below)
Before it can be used, Club Phoenix still has to have planning permission for change of use approved.
Date for objections missed
Many people that might have objected to the license weren’t able to as they’d missed the deadline. The County Press ran the story on their front page, but too late for people to object and, as VB reader Clarkee pointed out, they must have known about it way before, as they had run an advert for the licensing application ad in the newspaper.
Given the Club is on the road where youngest pupils at Nodehill Middle walk to school, many are concerned that it will be open as a bar during the day, switching to offering the more exotic entertainment in the evening.
Nodehill Headmaster unhappy
The headmaster of Nodehill, Mr Morris, told us he was saddened by the decision, pointing out that the area was very popular with high school pupils, after school hours and well into the evening.
“They spend a lot of time hanging around the park up the road and generally around this area. It’s also near the bus station.”
Asked what he thought of the idea, he said “It’s an inappropriate place to put it … actually the whole thing is inappropriate. If there has to be one, it would be far better off in an industrial estate, out of the way, rather in the town centre.”
Of course, Nodehill Middle School is marked to be closed in a few years, but as Mr Morris pointed out, there will still be young people around the area.
Official word from the council
Here’s the official word from Zoryna O’Donnell, IW Council head of community safety services, “The application has been dealt with in accordance with the Licensing Act.
“The Act prescribes a 28-day consultation period which commenced the day after the application was received by the council. A notice advertising the consultation stating the applicant’s intention to provide adult entertainment was displayed at the premises throughout the consultation period and this notice appeared in the Isle of Wight County Press. All the required responsible bodies as well as Newport Parish Council were notified of the application.
“As all the requirements of the legislation have been complied with and the objections submitted to the Council during the consultation period, which ended on 23 October 2009, have now been resolved, the Licensing Act dictates that the application should therefore be granted without the need for a hearing.
“The Council will however continue with partners to monitor the premises to ensure the licensing objectives continue to be promoted.”
