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Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2005 5:43 pm
Residents objecting to plans for a lap-dancing club have discovered the venue is used to shoot adult movies - and host outrageous parties. ALISTAIR HARRIS investigates
They say what you don't know can't hurt you. But residents in Bar Lane, Basford, got a bit more than they bargained for when they objected to plans for a lap-dancing club across the road.
Because they soon found out that a whole range of "adult" activity was already taking place on the Bar Lane industrial estate.
Model Sensations, whose website gives its address as units 19 to 25 on the estate, is a studio where members of the public can run their own pornographic photo shoots or make their own adult films.
And when the Post, posing as a potential punter, contacted a man called Mark whose contact number is given on the website, he told us all about what was available.
He said the studio itself could be hired for three hours for just ?45 - and it was possible to hire a model to star in your own, bespoke video, which would cost about ?225.
He said: "The studio's been there for three years in March.
"We've had fetish and swingers parties. We had 75 at the last one in the studio. It's big enough - but with over 50 it gets a bit claustrophobic."
The owner was more than happy to tell us about the proposed lap-dancing club, too.
He said: "Yeah, we've got a 250-capacity club that will be available soon.
"It was supposed to be opening last week but we've got a planning issue. It will be the middle of January or February before we open.
"But that will be a fully licensed adult club, with lap-dancing, strippers, cabaret."
Nottingham City Council confirmed it has received a licence application to convert Unit 19 into an adult club.
However residents are worried about the impact on the neighbourhood.
They collected 170 signatures opposing the application. But it was a shock for them to discover that adult activity has been taking place so near their homes for two-and-a-half years.
Mum-of-three Amanda Magee, 38, from Bar Lane, said: "We found out they had been over there for years, making adult films and having fetish parties. We spoke to the owner and he said, 'we've caused you no problems'.
"But they're going to cause a problem now. It's a very respectable area. I'm totally against the lap-dancing club. I don't want gangs of young lads hanging around, or stag groups drunk and disorderly. I've got three children, aged eight, 12 and 14, and it makes me worry for their safety."
A 45-year-old mother from Bar Lane said: "We got 170 names on the petition against the club in two hours. Bar Lane doesn't want it.
"Then we found out about the studio. You never notice what's under your nose, do you?
But a Bar Lane dad, who has opposed the lap-dancing application, said he was now "pretty much on the fence", adding: "I've never seen one model, cameraman, never heard any noise from that studio. He has kept it a secret from us all."
One woman who works on the estate said about the studio: "Oh! I heard that. I didn't know if it was true. I thought it was all rumour.
"I have been trying to get a peep but I've never seen anybody through the walls!"
And Daniel Birch, manager of the John Birch Sports Centre, said: "It shouldn't affect our business. It doesn't affect us so it doesn't matter."
Nottingham North MP Graham Allen is opposing the lap-dancing plans.
He said: "I wasn't aware of the studio. But I don't think it needs to go any further. I don't want it to be extended. Making it a higher-profile establishment would not be something I would want in the area. It's bad enough as it is.
"He might have kept the studio secret but this is a different order of magnitude. It's very public, advertised, it's out in the public domain now. I will be keeping an eye now on the existing licence as well as opposing any extension."
"In an area with such low educational attainment and high levels of deprivation, the problem will simply be amplified."
Peter Plummer, head teacher at nearby Ellis Guilford school, also said he was opposing the lap-dancing application. "We've had discussions with the education leader and one or two local residents," he said. "We think it's rather inappropriate to have it so close to the school and are putting in an official objection."
Tony Wilkinson, the solicitor acting on the applicant's behalf, said: "I have not been instructed to say anything by my clients at this time."
Two lap-dancing or table-dancing licences have already been granted in the city - at Senoritas, off Lenton Boulevard in Lenton, and Bar Humbug, in Friary Chambers, off Friar Lane.
A city council spokeswoman said the application in for unit 19 was a licence for lap-dancing, pole-dancing and table-dancing involving full nudity and would be considered on December 22.
She said there was no licence attached to the site at the moment, but they would not need one unless they were selling films from the premises.
This was printed without us even saying a word yes they did call Mark and ask about booking the studio but never did he say that we have had swingers parties or that we had 75 at the last one so please go to the News Papers web site and leave a supporting message as we are due to see their reporter in the morning and would like to print off loads of supporting comments to take with us.
They say what you don't know can't hurt you. But residents in Bar Lane, Basford, got a bit more than they bargained for when they objected to plans for a lap-dancing club across the road.
Because they soon found out that a whole range of "adult" activity was already taking place on the Bar Lane industrial estate.
Model Sensations, whose website gives its address as units 19 to 25 on the estate, is a studio where members of the public can run their own pornographic photo shoots or make their own adult films.
And when the Post, posing as a potential punter, contacted a man called Mark whose contact number is given on the website, he told us all about what was available.
He said the studio itself could be hired for three hours for just ?45 - and it was possible to hire a model to star in your own, bespoke video, which would cost about ?225.
He said: "The studio's been there for three years in March.
"We've had fetish and swingers parties. We had 75 at the last one in the studio. It's big enough - but with over 50 it gets a bit claustrophobic."
The owner was more than happy to tell us about the proposed lap-dancing club, too.
He said: "Yeah, we've got a 250-capacity club that will be available soon.
"It was supposed to be opening last week but we've got a planning issue. It will be the middle of January or February before we open.
"But that will be a fully licensed adult club, with lap-dancing, strippers, cabaret."
Nottingham City Council confirmed it has received a licence application to convert Unit 19 into an adult club.
However residents are worried about the impact on the neighbourhood.
They collected 170 signatures opposing the application. But it was a shock for them to discover that adult activity has been taking place so near their homes for two-and-a-half years.
Mum-of-three Amanda Magee, 38, from Bar Lane, said: "We found out they had been over there for years, making adult films and having fetish parties. We spoke to the owner and he said, 'we've caused you no problems'.
"But they're going to cause a problem now. It's a very respectable area. I'm totally against the lap-dancing club. I don't want gangs of young lads hanging around, or stag groups drunk and disorderly. I've got three children, aged eight, 12 and 14, and it makes me worry for their safety."
A 45-year-old mother from Bar Lane said: "We got 170 names on the petition against the club in two hours. Bar Lane doesn't want it.
"Then we found out about the studio. You never notice what's under your nose, do you?
But a Bar Lane dad, who has opposed the lap-dancing application, said he was now "pretty much on the fence", adding: "I've never seen one model, cameraman, never heard any noise from that studio. He has kept it a secret from us all."
One woman who works on the estate said about the studio: "Oh! I heard that. I didn't know if it was true. I thought it was all rumour.
"I have been trying to get a peep but I've never seen anybody through the walls!"
And Daniel Birch, manager of the John Birch Sports Centre, said: "It shouldn't affect our business. It doesn't affect us so it doesn't matter."
Nottingham North MP Graham Allen is opposing the lap-dancing plans.
He said: "I wasn't aware of the studio. But I don't think it needs to go any further. I don't want it to be extended. Making it a higher-profile establishment would not be something I would want in the area. It's bad enough as it is.
"He might have kept the studio secret but this is a different order of magnitude. It's very public, advertised, it's out in the public domain now. I will be keeping an eye now on the existing licence as well as opposing any extension."
"In an area with such low educational attainment and high levels of deprivation, the problem will simply be amplified."
Peter Plummer, head teacher at nearby Ellis Guilford school, also said he was opposing the lap-dancing application. "We've had discussions with the education leader and one or two local residents," he said. "We think it's rather inappropriate to have it so close to the school and are putting in an official objection."
Tony Wilkinson, the solicitor acting on the applicant's behalf, said: "I have not been instructed to say anything by my clients at this time."
Two lap-dancing or table-dancing licences have already been granted in the city - at Senoritas, off Lenton Boulevard in Lenton, and Bar Humbug, in Friary Chambers, off Friar Lane.
A city council spokeswoman said the application in for unit 19 was a licence for lap-dancing, pole-dancing and table-dancing involving full nudity and would be considered on December 22.
She said there was no licence attached to the site at the moment, but they would not need one unless they were selling films from the premises.
This was printed without us even saying a word yes they did call Mark and ask about booking the studio but never did he say that we have had swingers parties or that we had 75 at the last one so please go to the News Papers web site and leave a supporting message as we are due to see their reporter in the morning and would like to print off loads of supporting comments to take with us.