OWC in “no sex please we’re Irish” shocker

Main Street · April 25, 2007, 02:28:03 PM

Soft porn was freely available in the North years before the likes of the luke warm Playboy hit the streets in the South. Sex shops exist elsewhere in Belfast.
It is illegal to set up a sex shop without a licence.
Why shouldn't the council support the wishes of local residents who didn't want to have a proliferation of sex shops (6 in all) who wanted to set up there. Whats wrong with Sex (zones) in the city ?

SammyG · April 25, 2007, 02:33:00 PM

Quote from: Main Street on April 25, 2007, 02:28:03 PM
Soft porn was freely available in the North years before the likes of the luke warm Playboy hit the streets in the South. Sex shops exist elsewhere in Belfast.
It is illegal to set up a sex shop without a licence.
Why shouldn't the council support the wishes of local residents who didn't want to have a proliferation of sex shops (6 in all) who wanted to set up there. Whats wrong with Sex (zones) in the city ?

What about bookie zones or pub zones or church zones or school zones (keep all the kids in one place and stop them annoying the adults)?

Why should somebody who is selling completely legal material, whether that is porn mags or clothes pegs be stopped from doing it by the council.

his holiness nb · April 25, 2007, 02:40:17 PM

I actually agree with SammyG

Main Street · April 25, 2007, 02:45:34 PM

Quote from: SammyG on April 25, 2007, 02:33:00 PM
Quote from: Main Street on April 25, 2007, 02:28:03 PM
Soft porn was freely available in the North years before the likes of the luke warm Playboy hit the streets in the South. Sex shops exist elsewhere in Belfast.
It is illegal to set up a sex shop without a licence.
Why shouldn't the council support the wishes of local residents who didn't want to have a proliferation of sex shops (6 in all) who wanted to set up there. Whats wrong with Sex (zones) in the city ?

What about bookie zones or pub zones or church zones or school zones (keep all the kids in one place and stop them annoying the adults)?

Why should somebody who is selling completely legal material, whether that is porn mags or clothes pegs be stopped from doing it by the council.

I asked the questions first Sammy.
But to keep on with the great tradition of answering questions with more questions
Why shouldn't a city have zones, residential only zones, mixed residential and office, mixed residential and shopping, etc etc?

SammyG · April 25, 2007, 02:50:43 PM

Quote from: Main Street on April 25, 2007, 02:45:34 PM
Quote from: SammyG on April 25, 2007, 02:33:00 PM
Quote from: Main Street on April 25, 2007, 02:28:03 PM
Soft porn was freely available in the North years before the likes of the luke warm Playboy hit the streets in the South. Sex shops exist elsewhere in Belfast.
It is illegal to set up a sex shop without a licence.
Why shouldn't the council support the wishes of local residents who didn't want to have a proliferation of sex shops (6 in all) who wanted to set up there. Whats wrong with Sex (zones) in the city ?

What about bookie zones or pub zones or church zones or school zones (keep all the kids in one place and stop them annoying the adults)?

Why should somebody who is selling completely legal material, whether that is porn mags or clothes pegs be stopped from doing it by the council.

I asked the questions first Sammy.
But to keep on with the great tradition of answering questions with more questions
Why shouldn't a city have zones, residential only zones, mixed residential and office, mixed residential and shopping, etc etc?

No problem with that, but that's not what you said. You said sex shops should be zoned off in their own zone. I don't understand why a sex shop is any different to any other retail enterprise. If you have already have a retail zone why would you also need a specific sex zone?

Main Street · April 25, 2007, 03:12:01 PM

Quote from: SammyG on April 25, 2007, 02:50:43 PM
No problem with that, but that's not what you said. You said sex shops should be zoned off in their own zone. I don't understand why a sex shop is any different to any other retail enterprise. If you have already have a retail zone why would you also need a specific sex zone?

That's a good one, maybe unintentional.

I haven't a clue about the area at all. I assume there are residents involved and they have their reasons.
Could be they are very suspicious of sex shops. Maybee they are just fearfull that undesirables be attracted to come into their area. Maybe they have good reasons, I don't know. It would be good to know.
6 sounds a bit excesssive to me to be located in one small area.
I suppose I'm in favour of strictly controlled good city planning. That such shops be in designated retail areas.

brokencrossbar1 · April 25, 2007, 03:33:18 PM

I think if you look at the reasoning behind the appeal, and also at the commentary by the various Law Lords, you will see that the point of law that was being questioned was whether or not it was a breach of human rights that the licence was not granted. The issue around human rights is such that on balance of probabilities one person/group of persons human rights can have an over-riding effect over anothers. The Council did not want a licencing applications based on infringement of human rights as it would open a myriad of situations whereby people would make claims for a licnece to be granted.

The Lords decided that the Miss behavin could not rely on that ground as it would interfere on the human rights of too many others due to its proximity to mainstreet retail areas, shopping areas, schools and business areas.

I do not think that there should be a zoning of sex shops but I do think that because of the nature of their stock, there has to be careful consideration as to the location.

Sammy, you are very defensive about the decision, have you a vested interest?

thejuice · April 25, 2007, 03:37:40 PM

just noticed that Ann Summers has closed down on O'Connell street, and Stringfellow didnt last long either, maybe we not sophisticated after all

SammyG · April 25, 2007, 03:42:43 PM

Quote from: brokencrossbar1 on April 25, 2007, 03:33:18 PMSammy, you are very defensive about the decision, have you a vested interest?

The amount of years that I've been married, typing the phrase sex zone, is as close as I get these days.

Hardy · April 25, 2007, 03:58:24 PM

Quote from: thejuice on April 25, 2007, 03:37:40 PM
just noticed that Ann Summers has closed down on O'Connell street, and Stringfellow didnt last long either, maybe we not sophisticated after all

I'd have thought this indicated quite the opposite.

thejuice · April 25, 2007, 04:25:12 PM

well that was Peter Stringfellows parting shot at the 'Irish' cos we wouldnt go to his whorehouse and he had to close down. w**ker

Gabriel_Hurl · April 25, 2007, 04:46:57 PM

There's sex shops littered all over the main shopping area in Toronto.

In fact one directly opposite the largest shopping mall downtown.

And they are far from grubby little dark places

Not that I've been in them of course.

brokencrossbar1 · April 25, 2007, 05:13:02 PM

Hurl, were you in with one of your "women" friends

?

Gabriel_Hurl · April 25, 2007, 05:15:03 PM

Hardy · April 25, 2007, 05:27:53 PM

The Canadians are obsessed with lapdancing (generalisation du jour - but not far off in my experience). Over here a gang of lads on the tear go in for that but you can't go anywhere with even one Canadian but the only thing they want to do is find a place where you can watch women taking their clothes off. I often wonder how they manage to reproduce themselves, because sex seems to be a spectator sport over there.