Lap dance club plan: we WILL get a verdict

nlnews@archant.co.uk
24 September 2009

THE fate of a controversial lap dancing club application WILL be decided tomorrow (Friday), says Haringey Council's planning panel.

The hearing on whether the Music Palace in Tottenham Lane, Crouch End, will be allowed to stage lap dancing had to be adjourned on September 15 after running out of time, but has now been rescheduled.

Campaigners will descend once again on the Wood Green Civic Centre from 7.30pm to protest against the club's plans to hold near naked dances close to a primary school.

Councillor Jayanti Patel, chairman of the planning committee, said: "I should think we definitely will come to a decision at this meeting. We will kick off with the applicant's submission, after which other parties will want to ask questions. I do not want to cut it fine, which is why I made the decision to stop the meeting last week." He added the "sensitivity" of the application would require the panel of nine councillors to take a "reason-ably long time" to come to a decision.

New legislation forcing lap dancing clubs to reapply for a licence will come into effect in April next year.

Campaigners hope the Lap Dancing Association's failed bid to curb the new rules will work in their favour at tomorrow's meeting.

Lindsay Wright, of the Lap Off campaign group, said: "The legislation will make is much easier for local people to object to clubs on the basis of their proximity to schools.