Musselburgh named best sex venue location

Wednesday January 12th 2022

Starbucks-Fisherow-Musselburgh


Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Marie Sharp

Musselburgh has been named as the best place to house sex clubs and adult entertainment venues in East Lothian.

A survey over the location of future sex venues saw residents rule out most towns and communities in the east of the county.

And most respondents insisted the only place where they would be acceptable would be the ‘Honest Toun’.

People were asked their views as East Lothian Council consulted over whether they need to introduce a licensing policy for sexual entertainment venues.

The policy, which could also apply to swingers clubs and private house parties, comes after the Scottish Government gave local authorities discretionary powers to introduce the additional licences.

A survey launched on the East Lothian Consultation Hub asked for public views on whether venues should be licensed and which locations would be acceptable for such venues and which would not.

The findings which go before the council’s licensing sub-committee tomorrow (THU) saw a majority of those giving a view name Musselburgh as the only suitable place.

Residents in the more affluent east of the county insisted their towns would not be suitable with Gullane, North Berwick and Dunbar all ruled out by those taking part.

The vast majority of people responding told the council they did not believe anywhere was suitable for sex venues in East Lothian with most also responding to a question about the number of licensed venues the county should allow as zero.

When asked which locations were unsuitable for such venues responses included: “Gullane, North Berwick, Dunbar”; “wherever you’re thinking of putting them” and even “the rest of East Lothian except for Musselburgh.”

One respondent, however, suggested the county’s secluded Archerfield and Renaissance Golf Clubs as suitable sites pointing out they are “away from public locations”.

While another pointed to unused sites across the county adding: “There is a lot of waste land areas in small towns such as Haddington I can think of from the top of my head that would be more than perfect for establishing a business like this.”

This week’s sub-committee meeting will be asked to consider introducing a licensing policy with members warned having no policy would leave the county open to sex clubs opening without any controls in place to oversee them.

However a report to members added: “Introducing the licensing of sex entertainment venues is not equivalent to accepting or supporting
such businesses.

“That control could, if deemed appropriate, include a policy setting the number of such businesses to be permitted at zero.”

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