Furious snooker players have been told their 5,000-member club is set to shut and re-open as a lap dancing bar – despite objections from police.
Rileys on Deansgate, Manchester, has just 10 days to quit as the building’s landlord is hoping to lease the premises to another firm which plans to open Baby Blue – a ‘gentleman’s club’ with lap dancing, pole dancing and full-nudity striptease. It would open from 7pm to 4.30am.
Manchester council has granted a sex establishment licence for the premises but Rileys claim the decision was flawed as they were not aware of the application. Before it can open as a strip club it will also need full planning permission as it will constitute a change of use.
Rileys are now trying to find alternative premises in the city.
Maurice Kelly, chief executive of Rileys, said: "It is madness for us to be forced out of our home city when the process was, in our view, flawed. We were alerted to the issue only after permission had been granted. At no stage did we receive any written correspondence from either the city or the landlord. This is not about morality. It is about the way you can have your business removed simply because an applicant has failed to specify they were applying for a licence in our space."
Rileys now plan to object when the new operators apply for full planning permission.
They have occupied the building for about 15 years but were only on a month-by-month lease.
ABA Leisure (Seven) Ltd, based in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, hopes to run the lap dancing club. It has agreed to pay £120,000 a year rent.
The building is owned by La Roque Trust Company (Manchester) Ltd of St Anns House, in Old Market Place, Knutsford.
No one from the company was available for comment.
GMP objected to the granting of a sex establishment licence, arguing that it went against the council’s policy of not allowing such clubs near housing, historic buildings, places of worship or other places where relevant entertainment takes place.
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Woop woooop .... Count me in ... When's it opening
Make sure you don't go for pink & hit the brown.
A few people will be getting chucked out for going in off.
Lapdancing? That's foul.
Etc etc.
What an utter hypocritical decision by a labour run council, where females will be legally exploited. It goes to show what direction they seem to be going, something similar the uuter cess pit piccadilly gardens is now
Closing a snooker club down on Deansgate & re-opening as a sex club.
= more riff raff & trouble on deansgate.
You mark my words!
Great, I love tap-dancing.
Pardon?
Seems to be two issues here
1) Is it fair that Rileys can be kicked out as short notice
2) Is it right that a lap dance club can open
In terms of the first then yes it is because they only had a month to month lease, if they had wanted more security then they should have negotiated a longer term lease.
As for the second one it is up for debate but I don't see what right Rileys have to complain about what happens to a building once they've moved out it's a bit like me complaining about who my ex goes out with - it's nothing to do with me! Any objections by Rileys will just seem petty and vindictive.
Why not consider one of the vacant units on the opposite side under the arches? - for either.
It's crazy that a long standing business can be chucked out at a moment's notice.
I've no opinion one way or the other on there being a second lapdancing club on Deansgate.
Well I like snooker.
But I like boobies,
Which do I like best?
Theres only one way to find out.
Why not mix it up and get the best of both worlds? You get a lap dance whilst waiting for your next shot? Great way to kill some time especially if your opponent is on a big break...I think I'm onto something here - Chas and Dave could be on in the background with "Snooker Boobie"
Intriguing news. I'm chalking my cue as I write.
No real change, just going from Snooker to the old pocket billiards
just wait until more women get raped its going to be too late by then.
Just wait until all the overweight, ugly, comfortable shoe wearing brigade, start their protests against this opening.
The ones who are jealous that they are too heavy to swing around a pole, let alone clamber up onto a podium, to wiggle their ample backsides.
I think Rileys have shown utter contempt for their members. They knew they were on a rolling lease and they continued to take money for memberships making no attempt to inform new members of the situation before signing them up.
As if.. they have been thrown out at a moments notice. If that was the case they would be in court and not slagging of the landlords in the Evening News! Bloody disgrace. Lets hope this publicity stunt doesnt backfire on you Rileys.... Member and Snooker Lover
This place will be crawling with the scourge of Manchester every night!!.... Count me in.
How could Manchester council grant a sexual entertainment licence on a premises which did not have the appropriate planning consent? Something very fishy going on I would say! This is a location 100 meters from manchesters oldest deparment store, kendals and within earshot of manchesters cathedral. I thought the new act as adopted by the council was to avoid strip clubs being opened in these areas. The council have clearly ignored their own policies. Planning needs to put a stop to this nonsense before Westminster gets wind of the situation unfolding in England's second city.!
Can I use my rileys membership card to get into the lapdancing club?