Birmingham City Council approves licence for male strippers at Birmingham Broad Street club

A Broad Street nightclub eager to host year-round, “fully nude” male strippers has received the go-ahead from Birmingham City Council. The Midlands own stripper-troupe the UK Pleasure Boys, typically provide the popular entertainment for hen parties and largely female crowds.

Sugar Suite, the club above Velvet Music Rooms which plays RnB and dancehall, already hosts the Pleasure Boys up to 11 times a year. However, to legally host the strippers more often, the club required a Sexual Entertainment Venue (SEV) licence, which Birmingham City Council has now approved.

What has the planning report said about the male strippers application?

A planning sub-committee report reads: “The members agreed that the application was satisfactory and resolved to grant the licence with the standard conditions. In reaching this decision, the sub-committee has given due consideration to the city council’s Sexual Entertainment Venue Policy, the information contained in the application, the written representations received and the submissions made at the hearing by the applicant company via its solicitor.”

What has the Sugar Sugar Suite said about the Pleasure Boys performances?

Last week, a solicitor accompanied Sugar Suite director Danielle Hadley to a meeting of the council’s planning committee. He said: “More recently [Sugar Suite] has been providing entertainment by way of a dance troupe called the Pleasure Boys who will come along and do a performance primarily for a female audience in the evening. This entertainment generally attracts hen parties.

“Yes of course it’s a little bit tongue-in-cheek, but it’s one that’s not like other SEV applications – which are lap dancing, private booths, full nudity for three or four minutes. [Pleasure Boys] dancers are dressed in uniform, or dancers as builders, I think you can picture, and I’m sure you can understand the point that I’m making.

“In terms of nudity, the nudity is the quick ripping off of the g-string or whatever at the end of the performance, and it’s momentary nudity. And more often than not it’s full nudity, turning around, and the customers seeing the performer’s bottom.

“No performance will feature sex acts. And there shall be no sexual contact with customers during the performances.”

Has the council planning committee said anything else about the application?

A committee member asked for more information about the potential scope for future use of the licence. Ms. Hadley confirmed the club only works with one dance group, the Pleasure Boys, and they had no future plans to host others. She emphasised she does not want to host female sexual performers.

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