Legislation covering a house of ill repute

[David]

This IS a serious request.

I have just discovered that a neighbouring house is to be turned into some sort of club, website http://www.nude-house.com/ gives information.

Quote

The Nude-House is a real house, the first of a number in various parts of the country each to be occupied eventually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by teams of nude girls who will live their lives and perform for your pleasure and entertainment all the time

The girls work and spend their time in the nude to create a Fantasy Land for clients to pay to visit. Nude means either wearing nothing at all or wearing just suspenders and stockings and push up bras or bustiers exposing breasts – there are no knickers or thongs and no breast covering bras

End quote

I am looking for ammunition to fight this, so any help on fire safety requirements will be welcome.

Thanks in advance

David

[Mark]

My first thoughts are, is the house a reseidential property? If it is, it sounds like a business is being run from a residential property, therefore take up the case with your local planning officer. They will have to ask the owners of the property to apply for a "change of use" for the property...... and I would put a good bet that they won't give that permission and consequently will be issued with a 30 or so days notice to halt all business activities from the residential property.

Thats what happened to me many years ago....(and b4 you say it dave, I wasnt running a nude house!)

[David]

Mark
The house was residential, but is at present unoccupied.  It is owned (I think) by a developer pending an appeal for permission to redevelop.  We are "on the case" regarding planning permission for change of use, my wife is going to be waiting for the planning office to open on Monday.  The immediate neighbours have received no notification of a planning application (due to the proximity I would have expected to receive it as well).

I posted in this forum in the hope that fire legislation would also give a suitable stick.

David

[Mark]

Others will probably give you far better advice on the fire slant. My view is one of personal experience on "change of use" issues.

Good luck

[wee brian]

Fire legislation won't help. The best you could hope for is that they install abetter fire alarm. As far as building regs is concerned its not a material change of use so that won't help iether.

Planning is your best option.

[colin todd]

It could be an HMO, unless the girls live as a single family (which they might well do), in whcih case the Housing Act applies and is enforced by tghe EHO. Equally, it sounds as though it could be a public ents premises, in which case it needs a licence and could be closed unless and until it has one . (Personally, I find stockings and suspenders entertaining and would  be pleased to visit it-at your cost of course Davie- so that I could confirm in court how entertained I was.) Also note that the council in question runs a licensing system for sex shops ( as empowered to do by the Local Govt Misc Provisions Act), and charge £7000  for an application for a licence. They have never issued a licence yet though. As I recall they can raid a sex shop if there is no licence.

[wee brian]

All of these remedies suffer from the fact that you have to wait until they are "at it" before enforcement action can be taken.

You could talk to a lawyer about taking out an injunction to stop them starting. But it will probably cost you.

[NICK 872]

aS THESE GIRLS ARE NOT DOING IT FOR FREE ARE THEY NOT EMPLOYED AND THEREFORE COVERED BY THE WORKPLACE REGS. COULD BE FUN FOR THE LA TO ENFORCE THEM

[wee brian]

Yes but its not a breach of fire safety rules to cavort naked about the place. I don't think dave is concerend about their safety, he (or more likely his wife) wants rid of them.

[David]

Colin - you will have to pay for yourself.  You will also have to find your own as this one is fortunately not opening.  I got back from a few days away to find that they have been prevented from opening - I don't know what grounds yet.  Brian - it is the "leader of the opposition" as well as all the neighbours who object.  Thanks for the comments, and treating it seriously.

Dave