All sex shops in the Borough are required to be licensed. Sex shop is anywhere used for a business that consists to a significant degree of selling, hiring, exchanging, lending, displaying or demonstrating sex related articles.
Since 1987 the Council has had a policy of not allowing sex shops within the Borough, however this policy is no longer considered valid. On the 10th June 2003 the Council's Licensing Committee approved a new policy of permitting only one sex establishment in each ‘town locality’, no sex establishments in ‘rural localities’ and that each application is considered on its own merit.
Additionally guidelines on where sex establishments should be sited were adopted:
A licensed sex shop shall not be situated within ‘inappropriate proximity’ to: -
- A place of religious worship / education; or
- A pre-school facility /school or;
- A higher education campus; or
- Any residential accommodation; or
- An enclosed shopping mall, arcade or centre; or
- A market; or
- A public building open to the general public; or
- A community meeting place; or
- A community leisure facility; or
- A “Gateway” to an identifiable ‘locality’; or
- A location where children may be at risk but not previously referred to in 1-10 above or:
- A conservation area within the meaning of the Town and Country Planning Acts.
Note: ‘inappropriate proximity’ is defined as the distance that, in the opinion of the Licensing Committee, is such as to result in serious local concern.
These changes were agreed at the Council meeting on the 17th July 2003.
Click here for Licence Fees Licence Fees
Enforcement Policy
Occasionally it is necessary for us to take enforcement action where informal approaches do not result in improved standards. The Council has signed the Enforcement Concordat and a copy of our Enforcement Policy is available by following the link below.