Licensing committee seek views on sexual entertainment venues
12 March 2021
Aberdeen City Council’s Licensing Committee has opened a new consultation on the licensing of Sexual Entertainment Venues (SEVs) following the postponement last year of a scheduled new licensing system due to COVID-19.
The Licensing Committee in December 2019 decided to licence SEVs in order to develop a policy statement on the licensing of SEVs within Aberdeen. At present there is no legal requirement for SEVs to be licensed in Scotland other than for the sale of alcohol in those premises (Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005).
The first consultation was launched in March 2020 but was soon overtaken by the global pandemic.
The committee is seeking views on:
the appropriate number and location of SEVs in Aberdeen; andwhat matters should be taken into consideration in the development of a SEV policy statement. The consultation aims to gather further evidence on which to base a policy statement for sexual entertainment venues in Aberdeen.
Premises are classed as a SEV if:
sexual entertainment is provided before a live audience for the direct or indirect financial benefit of the organiser; sexual entertainment is any live performance or live display of nudity provided for the sole or principal purpose of sexual stimulation of members of the audience.Premises where sexual entertainment is provided on no more than four occasions in a 12-month period are not to be treated as Sexual Entertainment Venues.
Councillor John Reynolds, Convener of Licensing Committee, Aberdeen City Council said: “When we launched the original consultation in March 2020 it was just as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold. We are now reopening the consultation and I would encourage interested parties to make their views known.
“When developing the SEV Licensing Policy, care will be taken to balance the freedom of individuals to engage in legal employment and activities with the right to exercise appropriate control and regulation to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of the staff and patrons. In turn, citizens should also benefit from a safe, regulated environment.
“The purpose of the legislation and the question for the Licensing Committee is one of public safety and not one of morality.”
To take part in the consultation:
Anyone who took part in the original consultation in March 2020 is advised that their views have been collated and will be included in the results reported to committee, but they are also encouraged to participate in this consultation.
The consultation ends on Friday 02 April 2021.