Agenda item

Report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection.

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Markets and Consumer Protection providing an update concerning the public sex establishments consultation relating to a new sexual entertainment venue policy.

Members were advised that the current policy was almost 10 years old and only considered SEVs and not Sex Shops or Sex Cinemas. Despite here being no statutory need for consultation, it was considered necessary to mould and justify the policy as there were currently no SEVs in the City and the Team did not have the knowledge to form recommendations. It was also recommended by a legal advisor that consultation take place when the policy was last reviewed and was considered best practice.

A Member questioned the sampling used in paragraph 10 which he did not feel covered a significant percentage of the City’s population and requested more information regarding the sampling methodology used. Members agreed that not all stakeholders were included, and they did not go far enough in terms of geographical designation (e.g. schools outside of the City) whose views needed to be captured. It was recommended that “a sample” be replaced with “all”.

Members were advised that the stakeholders listed were used in the consultation previously, but that the survey would be circulated to the emails of all licensed premises and added to the City Corporation’s website. Officers agreed to take advice on how to include schools outside the City’s border.   

Members agreed that consultation was needed but it needed to be done properly capturing all relevant stakeholders to ensure the outcomes could not be challenged. Members therefore did not approve the current wording and asked that a broader and clearer report come back to the Committee at its next meeting.

Members recommended using methodology from other Departments/Committees, e.g. bank on safety, as a model for this consultation.

A Member felt that consultation alone was not sufficient for developing a decision-making process and warned that there was a danger of encouraging modern slavery if not defined properly.  

A Member questioned the inclusion of livery companies as a stakeholder. It was agreed that livery companies that did not have a hall in the City should not be included in the sample.

With regards to consultation, a Member recommended using Ward lists which would ensure everyone was captured. It was also suggested that the survey be advertised in CityAM and in churches.   

RESOLVED – That the report be updated as per the recommendations of Members, specifically paragraph 10, and brought back to the Committee’s next meeting for consultation.