Strip-club to close in East Peckham as license refused

A STRIP club in East Peckham is set to close after it failed to get its licence renewed, following sustained opposition from nearby residents.

The Harp Inn, in Hale Street, has been run as a sexual entertainment venue for the last six years.

Exotic dancers provided adult shows four days a week – but the curtain is set to come down for a final time on June 30.

Graham Hammond, manager of the Harp Inn, was unhappy with the decision – saying locals have no right to claim they lived in a traditional English village.

He said: "The place cannot operate as anything other than it is. The village is simply going to end up with another derelict building or an even more undesirable pub.

"East Peckham is not a pretty, quaint little village, it's a s***hole. It's just an industrial estate with a few houses. But the decision has been made, so it's time for us to move on."

For six years, the club's erotic shows were permitted under the Licensing Act 2003 and the council could only oppose a licence based on prevention of crime, public disorder, or public nuisance, and the protection of children and public safety.

But with the introduction of a new licensing regime in the borough giving the council more power over applications, 43 objections were made against the pub.

East Peckham parish councillor Peter Street said: "The borough council obviously found the Harp's entertainment as sufficiently controversial enough to refuse the license.

"I think this is due to a number of residents feeling as though erotic dancing is not an entirely suitable occupation."

In a statement from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, it was revealed that the licence was refused on May 30 because members of the panel considered the nature of a sexual venue would be inappropriate in the residential area of East Peckham.

The refusal of this license means there are now no sexual entertainment venues in the borough of Tonbridge and Malling.

Only one – a sex shop in Southborough – remains in the Tunbridge Wells borough.

Mr Hammond said: "Even I know it's not a normal establishment to have in a village, how on earth have they let us get away with it for so long is beyond me.

"If I'd lived in the village I would have got it shut down. We agree that it's not suitable for the area. But the people of East Peckham are just worried about their house prices. That's their only concern."

East Peckham has another derelict pub, the Rose and Crown, at the other end of the village. Mr Street said: "It would be a shame to waste the building.

"I don't think it will attract enough custom as just a public house because of where it's positioned.

"It will be interesting to know what their plans are. For it to close altogether would be a shame."

Struggling with falling trade in 2007, Lee Swainsbury, landlord of the Harp Inn, decided to liven things up by bringing in some raunchy entertainment.

After staging live music and taking on a chef failed to interest customers, in a last ditch attempt he employed strippers to pull in the punters.

At the weekend, management posted on their website: "We have had great fun at the Harp. We thank our loyal and generous customers but have to say unfortunately it is the end of an era."

Mr Swainsbury has another 21 years lease on the building and currently has no plans for the future of the Harp Inn.