Strip club gets green light in Epsom

Damon Wellman, owner of the Stir cocktail bar in East Street, was given permission to go ahead with his plans for strip dancing at Stir at Tuesday’s meeting of the licensing hearing sub-committee.

But there was good news for objectors who fought a determined battle against the application to keep the bar open until 2am, which they said would make their lives hell – the bar must shut at 11pm, except for Fridays and Saturdays when it will shut at 2am – the present closing time.

What was described as “adult entertainment” will stop at 1am, and all performers must provide evidence they are over 21. There will be no dancing at the tables and dancers will be restricted to performing in one area of the club.

Male and female dancers will perform at separate times.

New blinds will be installed to ensure that no-one outside the club can see in when performances are taking place.

Mr Wellman, who told the committee that he had installed extra soundproofing to the club and regularly monitored noise levels outside Stir agreed that he would not advertise the adult entertainment at his club in Epsom and Ewell and he emphasised that the new licensing conditions would not make major changes to the way the bar operated.

Two petitions were handed to the committee, one signed by 230 people against the application and another signed by almost 140 people in favour.

One of the objectors to the licence application was Eira Fesnoux, who told the committee that she liked living in the centre of town and was prepared for some levels of noise, but if the bar opened until 2am everyday life would be “intolerable”.

Others told the committee that the bar’s customers could be rowdy and antisocial.

Councillor Eber Kington, who had lodged objections on behalf of a group of councillors, said that he was very disappointed that the police had not also lodged objections.

He assumed the lack of objections from the police was “because it is easier to deal with a randy punter rather than a drunk one”.