Chorley sex shop to stay despite 180-name petition (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Chorley sex shop to stay despite 180-name petition

4:35pm Tuesday 17th February 2009 in Chorley

Councillors considered a petition signed by more than 180 residents before renewing the licence of a Chorley sex shop.

The owners of M & M Sensations, which has operated from premises on Bolton Street since 2001, applied to renew their sex establishment licence last week.

Before the meeting, a protest letter was received by the council, entitled ‘petition to re-locate sex shop on Bolton Street.’ The petition said it was from parents who had children at nearby schools and concerned residents from the Bolton Street area.

It claimed that the location of M & M Sensations was inappropriate and a covering letter said: “We do not believe, as many in the community, that such a business should be sited just nine shops form a lollipop crossing.” Councillors from the council’s general licensing sub-committee granted the renewal. A spokesman for Chorley Council said: "The shop has been in this area since 2001 and there have been no issues for the council, the police or trading standards in that time.

“A petition was received highlighting the proximity to a primary school, but was undermined by the fact that we wrote to all 180 people who had signed it and received back only six responses. Two of those were returned because the person was 'unknown' at the given address, one wanted their name to be removed claiming they had been misinformed about the petition and another said they'd only signed because they thought it was campaigning to get the shop removed completely.

“The licensing sub-committee heard from the owner and used Chorley's guidelines on sex establishment to consider the application and found no grounds to refuse it.”