Cotswold sex shops debate (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Cotswold sex shops debate

A SPICY subject raised eyebrows at a Cotswold District Council meeting last week.

After debating the finer points of waste management and pest control, the authority's community committee was asked to approve procedures for the licensing of sex shops.

The chances of seeing an Ann Summers shop in Cirencester's historic Market Place or an erotic video store nestling among the antique shops of Stow-on-the-Wold may seem remote, but the council needs to have guidelines in place in case anyone wants to open one.

Alison Brown, the council's administration and licensing officer, stressed that the authority hadn't received any applications.

She said: "We haven't had any applications, but we've got to have these procedures in place because you just don't know."

The cost of a license was set at £3,000, and under procedures approved last Tuesday, the council has the power to restrict the opening hours of sex establishments to between 9am and 8pm.

Licensees must also ensure that doors and windows are covered by blinds to prevent passers-by from seeing items for sale.

During their lunch break, councillors joked about the possibility of setting-up a working party to study the subject in more detail, but they eventually rubber stamped the proposals without debate.