Portsmouth strip clubs: Places that spark rise in sexual violence to women or venues for just harmless male fun?

Currently the city has two strip clubs: Elegance in Granada Road, Southsea, and Wiggle in Surrey Street, Landport. During the last decade there has been a bitter battle fought on the merits of allowing such venues to stand in the city – with a lapdancing club toasting victory in the most recent showdown.

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Despite attracting dozens of letters of objection, an application to renew the licence for Elegance was given the go-ahead by city councillors in April. Members of a licensing sub-committee agreed to the club’s reopening for the first time in three years after praising the track record of its owner Paul Ojla.

Objectors had warned strip clubs could lead to the abuse and exploitation of women and that its location near schools and churches made it particularly unsuitable. Thirty people wrote to the city council opposing the annual licence renewal, however none attended the meeting.

‘I am opposed to the exploitation and objectification of women in the sex industry and feel that this kind of business should be discouraged by the city council,’ one of the anonymous objectors said, adding that if strip clubs were to be allowed they should be outside residential areas.

No concerns were raised by Hampshire police, which a council solicitor said amounted to the force having no concerns about the business.

Elegance is run by Wellhot Ltd which also operates the city’s other strip club: Wiggle in Landport as well as three other businesses of the same name in Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth.

Having been open for 20 years, both Elegance and Wiggle were excluded from the city council’s sex establishment licence policy where it states ‘there is no place within the city of Portsmouth of which it could be said that it was situated in a locality in which it would be appropriate to licence a sex establishment’.

Women’s abuse charity Aurora New Dawn previously raised objections in February 2021 over the council’s sex establishment policy. ‘At the time of the Nil Cap introduction, we understood this to mean, in layman’s terms, that in effect, a nil cap was introduced, however this did not apply to clubs with an existing licence or those licensed and active in the period described. This is in direct contradiction to the previous decision and we lodged our complaint about this in 2012,’ a statement from the charity said.

However, licensing solicitor Jon Wallsgrove, who represents Wellhot Ltd, said of the recent decision to allow Elegance to reopen: ‘I’ve been before this committee on so many renewals and I was pleased to see that all of the futile allegations that have been made on previous applications have disappeared. This club’s been operating for 20 years and there has never been an incident where police have had to be called.

‘The allegations of intimidation by sexually-aroused men hanging around the premises are nonsensical; that does not happen.’

Aurora New Dawn would disagree about the negative consequences of strip clubs, previously stating in 2021: ‘There is no doubt that the sexual objectification of women – as practised in SEVs (Sexual Entertainment Venues), for example – is directly linked to the incidence of sexual and domestic violence.’

Sub-committee chairman councillor Lewis Gosling said councillors had considered each of the potential grounds for refusing the renewal of the licence and found ‘there is no basis’ to refuse it. ‘The sub-committee is reassured by the strict conditions and policies in place that they are significant enough to address the issue of gender-based crime and the risks to gender inequality are low,’ he said.

Mr Ojla said of the decision: ‘We get these same objections every year so it was no surprise to see them and no surprise that none of the objectors were here at the meeting. This is a very well-run business as the police and councillors have recognised and we’re pleased to have their support.’

The recent division is a reflection of similar arguments that have taken place over the past decade in the city.

In March 2018, licensing chiefs at Portsmouth City Council spent more than a week mulling over whether to allow a new lapdancing club to open in Albert Road, Southsea. The application was made by Mr Ojla who hoped to move Elegance from its site in Granada Road, Southsea, to the former Conservative club in Albert Road.

It was a bid which sparked uproar from residents and businesses in the city centre street, with more than 500 people backing a petition against the plan. A decision was finally made by a panel of councillors kicking out the proposal by a majority vote of two-to-one.

In May 2018, in an apparent role reversal of the debate, councillor Claire Udy launched a withering attack on fellow councillor Luke Stubbs at the prospect of a Dreamboys production coming to the Kings Theatre, in Albert Road, Southsea, the following month.

Cllr Stubbs had branded members of Portsmouth’s Liberal Democrat and Labour parties hypocritical for not opposing the show coming to the city – despite their opposition to a lap-dancing club opening on the road.

But councillor Udy hit back: ‘Next time The News decides to report on sexism from men who feel emasculated when a one-off performance of the Dreamboys comes to Portsmouth, could we just remind them that men pay women to dance for them on a daily basis in two different venues in this city, to assert their patriarchal and capitalist dominance over women?’

In May 2016, Mr Ojla first launched his scheme to move Elegance from Granada Road into the former Conservative Club building in Albert Road. Council officers gave the plan their blessing, but councillors turned it down, saying it would be an inappropriate addition to the shopping street. Mr Ojla said: ‘I feel like we have been treated unfairly.’

More than a decade ago in October 2012, lapdancers claimed victory after councillors agreed to keep existing clubs in Portsmouth. The city council’s licensing committee approved the move at a packed public meeting at the civic offices.

It came after scores of staff and dancers from clubs protested against potential closures. Up to 65 dancers, door staff and workers for Wiggle and Elegance strip venues stood on the steps of the Guildhall wearing ‘save our jobs’ T-shirts and chanting the same words.

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As part of the council’s decision existing venues – Wiggle, Elegance and Heaven Sent – were able to renew their licences – but could only be allowed to move location if there were problems with the building and issues with employees’ safety.

It was announced new applications would be refused unless there was evidence to show another adult venue would benefit the community. It came as 3,309 out of 3,425 residents voted in favour of keeping strip clubs during a public consultation earlier in the year.

Councillors said they were happy for the clubs to stay and remain in their locations because police assured them crime had fallen since they were introduced. PC Brian Swallow, from the licensing team, said: ‘We get very few incidents of anti-social behaviour in areas near to sexual entertainment venues.’

Dancers expressed how much they loved their job, saying it had boosted their confidence. Wiggle dancer Paula Smith, 20, said: ‘It’s my choice to work as a Wiggle dancer, I’m comfortable and it’s good money. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.’

Dana Ward, who had worked at Wiggle for two years, said: ‘I feel safer in there than in a normal nightclub.’

Mr Oija said: ‘This is a victory for my businesses but at the same time it’s a shame that there won’t be a competitive market. I also would have liked the choice to change where my venues are.’

Shonagh Dillon, of Aurora New Dawn, said at the time: ‘We’re disappointed with the decision because these venues exploit women and encourage sexual abuse and harassment.’

Heaven Sent has subsequently closed.