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Fears new sex entertainment venues could make Norwich’s Prince of Wales Road more dangerous
Prince of Wales Road in Norwich. Picture: ARCHANT LIBRARY - Credit: Archant
New sex entertainment venues in a popular part of Norwich could make a city anti-social behaviour hotspot even more dangerous, it has been warned.
Lesley Grahame, Green Party city councillor for Thorpe St Andrew in Norwich. Picture: ARCHANT LIBRARY - Credit: Archant
And Lesley Grahame, councillor for Thorpe Hamlet ward on Norwich City Council, said similar venues to the lap dancing club application approved at Bar 52 in Prince of Wales Road could particularly put female partygoers at risk.
The Norwich city centre street has long been a scene of regular drunken disorder from revellers going to and from pubs and nightclubs.
On Saturday, more than 20 people were arrested after multiple fights in what a police officer described as one of the 'busiest' public order shifts he had done in a long time.Bar 52 was given permission earlier this year to change into a lap dancing venue, with Ms Grahame believing applications for similar venues could be made – as Norwich is under the limit for venues of this type.
'It's bad enough when there are people plastered – if you add sexual arousal to that mix it's going to be very much worse, especially for women,' she said.
'How much worse is it going to get if there are a lot more strip clubs on the street?
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'There was an application for a third and I think there may be more in the pipeline.
'If you add sexual arousal to the mix, it's going too make the streets a lot more uncomfortable and the risk to women is much higher.
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Ms Grahame said she had pushed for greater regulations of sex entertainment venues in the area.
'My worry is lots of clubs will spring up before regulations come into place,' she said.
The Green Party councillor said there had been some improvement to the situation in the prince of Wales Road area generally but added: 'It's not pleasant and I am one of many people who would probably avoid going that way at the best of times.
'I understand young people want to have a good time. People drink and it's a controlled place.
'However older people want to go out and have a good time as well and they can't do that if their streets are full of vomit.'
