Council says sex shop can open

Licensing chiefs today gave the go-ahead for a sex shop to open up in Wellington despite scores of objections to the proposals from town residents.

Telford & Wrekin Council had been inundated with letters of opposition to Nicola Dicken’s bid for a licence to operate a sex shop at 1A Vineyard Road.

But members of the council’s licensing panel today decided to allow Mrs Dicken to open after discussing the issue behind closed doors for nearly two hours.

The shop will only be allowed to open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9.30am to 6pm and Thursdays from 9.30am to 8pm.

No advertisements will be allowed outside the premises apart from the shop name, any goods or displays should be discreet and tasteful, and the interior of the shop should not be visible to passers-by.

Mrs Dicken, who already runs Romeo & Juliet sex shop in Ketley Business Park with her husband, Roger, said she was “over the moon” with the decision.

Mr Dicken said: “Telford & Wrekin is obviously a forward-thinking council and they have come to the understanding that licensed sex shops can play a part and do have a place in society.”

He told councillors the proposed location was a mixed use area and they had not had any problems when they had operated a sex shop at Trench Lock industrial estate, which was also near homes and a children’s activity centre.

Mr Dicken said the shop would bring more trade for other businesses.

But Councillor Karen Tomlinson asked how the shop would bring in more trade when people would use it and go nowhere else.

Oh dear meeting behind closed doors does this mean that a large number of councillors use this sex shop

thats how many tings are decided like the Town Centre Development despite it being well known that the first plans will be ubmitted by February 09.