A councillor has objected to the licence renewal for a sex shop which has operated on Nantwich Road in Crewe for 21 years with no complaints, writes Belinda Ryan.
Cheshire East’s licensing sub-committee was told by the council’s licensing team leader, Kim Evans, that the licence for Temptations Adult Shop was renewed annually and there had never been an objection from anyone previously.
But a committee meeting today (Oct 28th) had been called because of an objection to the licence renewal from Cllr Sarah Bennett-Wake (Macclesfield, Lab).
Ms Evans told the committee: “In respect of the premises, there have been no complaints received, either from members of the public or from responsible authorities, and the premises has not been discussed in any of our police licensing liaison meetings where problem premises are discussed.”
Shop owner Alan Brook told the committee: “I’ve operated responsibly as the licence holder for the last 21 years in the community at the same address.
“Everything’s been great, no trouble whatsoever.”
Cllr Bennett-Wake said she was objecting to the renewal of the licence because she didn’t think it was appropriate to the character of the area as the shop was on a high street and a walking route to school.
“It’s clearly family-orientated, with playgrounds, mother and baby shop in close vicinity, and therefore a sex shop, and the application to sell pornographic films and magazines is not in keeping with the character of the area,” said Cllr Bennett-Wake.
She told the meeting: “The last government, in 2021, examined the relationship between pornography use and harmful sexual attitudes and behaviours, with a particular focus on academic research on legal pornography.
“They found that men using porn expected women to play out violent and degrading acts they had viewed.
“There was an increased likelihood of committing both verbal and physical acts of aggression towards women with significant strong correlation with the use of violent pornography.”
The councillor said data from the police showed Crewe South had the highest rate of sexual offences in Cheshire East.
She added: “I just think it’s not appropriate to sell porn on the high street where there’s children passing by.”
Mr Brook said the data Cllr Bennett-Wake was referring to did not give a breakdown of what had happened or who had committed the crimes.
“And really, I object to your suggestion that any of my 200 customers a week, that’s 10,000 customers a year, are in any way involved with crimes that are happening in Crewe South,” said Mr Brook.
“I don’t see where the relevance comes into it. I find it almost slanderous.”
He added that about 30% of his customers were women.
Mr Brook said no violent DVDs were sold in the shop and all DVDs sold had the proper certificate from the British Board of Film Classification.
The meeting was adjourned and committee chair Arthur Moran said a decision on the licence renewal will be published within 10 working days.
(Pic courtesy of Google Maps)
Nantwich Road is a terrible place. The business has been there for 21 years which says a huge amount as I doubt there any other business on that road that have lasted that long. Considering the neighbouring businesses are brothels, casinos and bars I suggest the conversation parents need to have with their children walking down the road are around the other vices they are being exposed to.
The suggestion that a baby shop is nearby makes no sense to me as the act of creating a baby won’t be news to the visitors of that shop!
Never get those sort of pervos in Nantwich, praise the Lord
Family oriented high street, the councillor in question has obviously never walked down Nantwhich Road, It is full of barber shops,betting shops and fast food outlets, hardly a Family destination.
I am far more offended by my council tax,which coincidentally is Labour run,grant the licence and let’s concentrate on more pressing issues, dare I mention the migrant hotels.
Councillor woke really needs to wake up and address more pressing issues than a business which has been operating for 21 years without any issues whatsoever.
Is she in the real world? Can the lady who lives in Macclesfield please let Crewe councillors decide what happens in their own constituency and keep her nose out?
I’d love to know where she shops for her toys at Christmas!
If a business has been operating without issue for 21 years and granted annual licences, why would a councillor object to that. The objections are absurd, purely based on some study and her personal opinion….. “I just think it’s not appropriate to sell porn on the high street where there’s children passing by.
The business has been operating for 21 years on the high street, and more likely than not, children passing the shop every day for 21 years, all without issue.
Does the said councillor want the business moved to a back street, becoming a clandestine operation and it all becoming seedy. That would be taking society back a 100+ years.
Let’s hope this Council sees sense and applies the annual licence, as it has done, without issue, for the past 21 years.
I am a bit surprised that a female councillor who lives 40 odd miles away with her wife and cat sees that a legal business with apparently no complainants has the energy to object to this application when there are clearly other more pressing issues that deserve addressing such as the e-mobile drug sellers and a-holes who parade the streets in black hoodies and masks but then I suppose everyone can have an opinion