A lap dancer welcomes the licensing of strip clubs in South Ayrshire as the council takes action to regulates the premises.

And a man who visits pole dancing night spots with his wife says adult entertainment venues would benefit the area during a council consultation. 

But the South Ayrshire Violence Against Women Partnership does not want any sexual venues. 

Last week councillors voted to licence sexual entertainment venues at the South Ayrshire Council Leadership Panel. 

Lap dancer Sophia Cairns said: “I’m a lap dancer and have been for many years. I live in Tarbolton and I have to travel to Glasgow for work every weekend.

“I think granting a sexual entertainment venues licence in Ayrshire would be a great thing for people like myself. It will also be really good for bringing more business into Ayr.”  Ms Cairns submitted the comment by email during a consultation with the council.

Responding to the council, Andrew Cox said: “I would just like to say that I feel adult entertainment would be beneficial to the South Ayrshire night time economy.

“As long as it’s in a well run establishment it would be welcome by everyone I know. My wife and I regularly go to ones elsewhere and really enjoy it.”

Councillor Philip Saxton pointed out Forbes Robertson’s Millonayr Casino in Ayr is the only sex entertainment venue in South Ayrshire but it has closed.

Supporting the new licensing, the Labour Councillor said he didn’t want an “open door” policy for strip clubs. 

Any firm wanting to open such a business would have to be granted a licence first.

The council asked people for feedback before adopting the regulation. 

Ian Douglas chair of Belmont and Kincaidston Community Council said its members “were very relaxed about allowing one or a number of sexual entertainment venues provided they were properly licensed and properly controlled.”

He added: “Only one member had a view against this facility, he is a man of the cloth so that did not surprise anybody.”

Craigie Community Council does not want any premises of that type to open.  Chairman Gavin Morton said: “Craigie Community Council would like to see a zero tolerance of sexual entertainment venues. At the moment there are no venues in Ayrshire and we feel a licensing system should be put in place to discourage such venues.”

Multiagency group the South Ayrshire Violence Against Women Partnership said all forms of commercial sexual exploitation contribute to creating and sustaining gender equality and objectify women. 

It said lap dancing, stripping, prostitution and pornography are “linked to the sexual commodification of all women and girls” which is harmful and damaging to them and  society. 

A report presented to councillors on Tuesday said: “If the Leadership Panel opts not to licence sexual entertainment venues, then such premises may operate without any licensing requirements relating to the activities and the council will have no power to regulate permissible types of premises or limit their number in any locality