Swindon town centre club may become lap-dancing venue
10:00am Wednesday 13th February 2013 in Latest News By Scott D'Arcy
Angelo’s in Fleet Street
A FORMER nightclub which closed down while at the centre of a drugs conspiracy has been given planning permission to re-open as a lap-dancing club.
Angelo’s, in Fleet Street, closed after it had its licence revoked by Swindon Council’s Licensing Panel in 2011 following years of serious crime at the venue.
The closure was triggered by the arrest of former manager Guglielmo Rossi, who later admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine between September 5 and October 6 2011.
But now Carmine Di Liso, who used to run the Godfather Club, in Victoria Road, has taken over the lease and is hoping to make Angelo’s a gentleman’s club.
Home Plan Design Services, acting for Mr Di Liso, obtained council planning permission for the venue to open between 9pm and 2am from Monday to Wed-nesday and 9pm to 4am from Thursday to Sundays.
But the club’s management still has to obtain approval from the council’s licensing committee.
Rod Navarrete, of Home Plan, said: “Planning permission has been granted and is available for the public to see.
“There will be a process of obtaining a licence, that application has been made.”
Swindon has two other pole-dancing clubs – Foxies, in Theatre Square, and Dream Lounge, in Victoria Road.
Last year the Adver reported the council wanted more powers to restrict an increase in clubs.
The premises fall under the same law used to licence bars and off-licences. But the council plans to re-classify them as sexual entertainment venues, meaning they will fall under the legislation which regulates sex shops and sex cinemas.
This means the authority will be able to reject applications on wider grounds, notably that the character of the area is inappropriate for a club, or there are too many already in the area.
Ward councillor Junab Ali (Central, Lab) said: “Fleet Street has a lot of boarded up shops and business is slow down there.
He said the club would be all right if it goes through the planning and licensing process and is a legitimate business rather than a boarded up shop.
A spokesman for Swindon Council said: “The licensing committee is arranging a date for this to be heard but the fact it has been given planning permission is no guarantee.”
Mr Di Liso was unavailable for comment but speaking when his Godfather club opened in 2009, he said: “It will not be sleazy and there will be no drunken teenagers in here.
“We want nice customers looking for a relaxing and safe drink – I don’t want people to think they can’t bring their wife in here.”
Comments(30)
kathcush
says...
10:37am Wed 13 Feb 13
Davey Gravey
says...
11:40am Wed 13 Feb 13
A.Baron-Cohen
says...
12:07pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Visitors/families would arrive at Swindon train station and walk towards to town centre to be almost immediately facing a strip club.......hardly the sort of welcome shoppers/visitors would expect.
The Real Librarian
says...
12:19pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Davey Gravey wrote:Calling it dancing is optimistic.
From seedy dump of a nightclub to a seedy dump with dancing slappers. Wonderful
Wobbling, really!
Emroc
says...
12:30pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Maybe I'm naieve but I would be wary of any married man visiting a lap-dancing club alone, but even more so with his wife! What on earth is happening to our morals?
I think many people would rather see the place boarded up or even better, knocked down.
Lips1964
says...
12:33pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Jobs for bouncers, bar staff, dancers, cleaners etc and if it not your cup of tea don't bother going there ... simple as !!!
As for saying the dancers are slappers ... well done Davey is that from experience that you make this stupid and unfounded comment?
Emroc
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12:46pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Flipflops Plane
says...
12:51pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Good work Swindon BC and the businessman opening this club
SlantedView
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12:57pm Wed 13 Feb 13
However, I have to agree with Baron here! Being one of the first businesses you see walking into town from the Train Station isn't the cleverest decision if the council really are concerned about the reputation of Swindon! I'm all for creating new jobs (as most people are) but these decisions should be based on intelligent long term strategies. Time will tell!!
Lips1964
says...
1:13pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Emroc wrote:I said the statements are moronic not the people stating them so please be clear that I have not called anyone a moron.
Lips1964: Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Just because you disagree with with other people's comments, it doesn't make those people morons. :) I personally think the things that have been said are very true.
Am I to take it that you also agree with Davey that the dancers are slappers?
Many of the dancers in clubs like these are students making additional money to get by on and are intelligent young ladies.
These clubs are not brothels get it right !!!
daws
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1:29pm Wed 13 Feb 13
house on the hill
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1:45pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Amberflame
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1:46pm Wed 13 Feb 13
daws wrote:Got to help those students pay their way through College/Uni!
sounds great. Cant wait, i ll be there when it opens with me pocket full of tenners for the chicks ;-]
Davey Gravey
says...
3:38pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Lips1964 wrote:Yes experience. Wonder how much the extras will be?
What a bunch of moronic statements, it is a business taking over otherwise empty premises and rather than let it crumble and look derelict why not develop into a business.
Jobs for bouncers, bar staff, dancers, cleaners etc and if it not your cup of tea don't bother going there ... simple as !!!
As for saying the dancers are slappers ... well done Davey is that from experience that you make this stupid and unfounded comment?
Even Angrier Monkey
says...
3:48pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Tim Newroman
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4:32pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Davey Gravey wrote:There will be less prostitutes in there once they open a lap dancing club.
From seedy dump of a nightclub to a seedy dump with dancing slappers. Wonderful
People may object to the nature of such businesses, but the reality is that they are rarely a nuisance and they generate FAR less violence, anti-social behaviour and general thuggery than most regular pubs/bars.
Always Grumpy
says...
6:00pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Tim Newroman wrote:Your detailed and documented evidence for those statements are............ or is that just your opinion. Fact and your opinion are NOT one and the same.
Davey Gravey wrote:There will be less prostitutes in there once they open a lap dancing club.
From seedy dump of a nightclub to a seedy dump with dancing slappers. Wonderful
People may object to the nature of such businesses, but the reality is that they are rarely a nuisance and they generate FAR less violence, anti-social behaviour and general thuggery than most regular pubs/bars.
itsamess3
says...
7:39pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Tim Newroman
says...
8:12pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Always Grumpy wrote:a) where did I say the statement was factual?
Tim Newroman wrote:Your detailed and documented evidence for those statements are............ or is that just your opinion. Fact and your opinion are NOT one and the same.
Davey Gravey wrote:There will be less prostitutes in there once they open a lap dancing club.
From seedy dump of a nightclub to a seedy dump with dancing slappers. Wonderful
People may object to the nature of such businesses, but the reality is that they are rarely a nuisance and they generate FAR less violence, anti-social behaviour and general thuggery than most regular pubs/bars.
b) where did I say the statement was opinion?
c) I would ask where your sense of humour is, but that'd be a bit pointless considering it seems you've never had one (that's my opinion, by the way.
d) did you ever go to Pasha or Angelo's? If you did, you'd realise that my comment was a joke based in the reality of the place.
e) try not to get too upset about things posted here, it's really not personal you know.
Always Grumpy
says...
8:28pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Tim Newroman wrote:"but the reality is that they are rarely a nuisance and they generate FAR less violence, anti-social behaviour and general thuggery than most regular pubs/bars."
Always Grumpy wrote:a) where did I say the statement was factual?
Tim Newroman wrote:Your detailed and documented evidence for those statements are............ or is that just your opinion. Fact and your opinion are NOT one and the same.
Davey Gravey wrote:There will be less prostitutes in there once they open a lap dancing club.
From seedy dump of a nightclub to a seedy dump with dancing slappers. Wonderful
People may object to the nature of such businesses, but the reality is that they are rarely a nuisance and they generate FAR less violence, anti-social behaviour and general thuggery than most regular pubs/bars.
b) where did I say the statement was opinion?
c) I would ask where your sense of humour is, but that'd be a bit pointless considering it seems you've never had one (that's my opinion, by the way.
d) did you ever go to Pasha or Angelo's? If you did, you'd realise that my comment was a joke based in the reality of the place.
e) try not to get too upset about things posted here, it's really not personal you know.
Your words, not mine. Whose reality is is it? You're making statements here that need to be supported by evidence.
I do have a sense of humour, but not where you're concerned.
REDROM
says...
8:53pm Wed 13 Feb 13
Davey Gravey wrote:Always been a rough hole. But just because a women is a lap dancer,It don't make her a slapper.
From seedy dump of a nightclub to a seedy dump with dancing slappers. Wonderful
LordAshOfTheBrake
says...
10:38pm Wed 13 Feb 13
itsamess3 wrote:Well there is the restraunt that does Butlers in the Buff......
How come there are no ladies clubs with male lap dancers--equal rights.
Blackwell 2
says...
11:09pm Wed 13 Feb 13
A heavy drinkers ghetto and a lap dance club as the first impression.
Especially after they squandered millions on the paved areas.
As another example, some time ago a fairly significant pothole developed in the road near my house and I watched as one SBC worker came out, filled it, patted it down and drove off. Within 24 hours the filling had come out and the pothole was the same as it had been the day before.
Cue another worker coming out a few days later to do the same thing. With the same result.
A few days after that, two workers came out, filled it properly, levelled it properly and then sealed it properly. A year later that third repair holds good.
The first two attempts were simply a complete waste of time, money and resources. The worst part is that when the public know exactly what will happen to those shoddy repairs, it must be the case that SBC and their workers know it too.
Time to gather my local councillors to have a chat with the wife and I
alex_rh
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2:18am Thu 14 Feb 13
alex_rh
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2:18am Thu 14 Feb 13
Thesnootyfox
says...
2:42pm Thu 14 Feb 13
Swindon has it's knockers and it's residents get upset when it tops the list of crap towns. How does Swindon respond to the knockers? It responds by getting people to pay to see a load of knockers.
Swindon is stuck firmly in the 70s. What kind of message does this send the next generation?
Do people want their daughters to be objectified in this way and viewed merely as a commodity?
And any man stupid enough to visit this seedy establishment deserves to be fleeced. I have heard of people paying £20 for a pint in these places. Explain that to your families. That having a young students naked breasts shoved in your face was worth the credit card bill.
Tim Newroman
says...
4:33pm Thu 14 Feb 13
Don't frequent them myself, as I feel they exploit men, but can't see any problem with grown adults being free to choose to use them if they wish.
And let's always remember one thing, nobody is forced to work there. They would be shut down in an instant if that was found to be the case.
roberto5
says...
6:20pm Thu 14 Feb 13
Bands a make her dance, bands a make her dance
All these chicks popping ****, I'm just popping bands
Bands a make her dance, bands a make her dance
These chicks clappin' and they ain't using hands
Thesnootyfox
says...
7:40pm Thu 14 Feb 13
Always Grumpy says...
10:30am Wed 13 Feb 13
When that's done carry on along to Bridge Street, turn left and knock everything down on both sides as far as King Street and Queens Street.
That will do for starters.