Last night at Licensing Committee, councillors unanimously agreed to go out to consult residents and businesses in Hackney on the proposed new policy regarding "Sex Establishments".
The government has recently passed new legislation that will come into force later this year that allow local councils to licence lap dancing clubs, sex shops and sex cinemas using a different set of powers.
These include setting a maximum number of premises within a locality. Last night, the committee decided to consult on a "nil" policy across all of Hackney. It means that the five premises that currently have a sex encounter licence - which will then seek a "sexual entertainment" licence - would have to argue forcefully why they should be the exception to the policy.
Potentially, this could see all of the venues shut when they seek their licence renewal next spring.
The consultation will begin in the summer and we expect the policy to be adopted, subject to the outcome of the consultation, this autumn.
You can read the policy proposals here.
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