Judge rules Bournemouth, Christchuch and Poole council unreasonable to dismiss women’s safety concerns as ‘moralistic’
The High Court has ruled today that Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council’s policy of having no limit on the number of strip clubs is unlawful. The Court decided that the Council was wrong to ignore concerns that strip clubs contribute to the abuse, harassment and violence against women and girls in society. Following a merger of the three Council districts in 2019, a consultation was launched by BCP to determine the number of strip clubs it could licence. A high number of responses to the consultation expressed serious concerns that strip clubs impact negatively on attitudes towards, and treatment of, women and girls by contributing to a culture in which they are abused, harassed and subjected to sex-based violence. The council explicitly ignored any concerns that focused on these societal harms, dismissing them as ‘moral objections’. Following this, on 9 November 2022, the Council adopted a licensing policy that allowed for an unlimited number of strip clubs. Our client, ...