The meeting will be held in Restormel District Council Chamber, 39 Penwinnick Road, St Austell, PL25 5DR, at 10.00am. The sex-shop itself is in Little Castle Street, Truro, next to a shop selling school uniforms about 200 yards from the Cathedral.
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PRAY: For a large number of Christians and concerned parents and residents to attend the licensing committee on 7th September. That the Licensing Committee will overturn its previous decision and refuse a license for the sex-shop. Pray for the fear of God, or at least some consideration of the welfare of children, to inform the committee
WRITE: The time for formal objections having passed, write or email the members of the Miscellaneous Licensing Committee being respectful but firm in urging them to reject the proposal for a sex shop in Truro as inapproriate for the City and locality (Each is addressed 'Dear Cllr SURNAME'):
Cllr Jim Flashman (Chairman) (Conservative: Kelly Bray)
West Prince Farm, Sevenstones, Callington, Cornwall, PL17 8HZ
Phone: 01579 350893, Mobile: 07976 253692
Email: jflashman@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Lisa Dolley (Vice-Chairman) (Independent: Redruth North)
8 Plain-An-Gwarry, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 1HU
Mobile: 07807 787280
Email: ldolley@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Russell Bartlett (Conservative: Gunnislake)
Bracken, 1 Myrtle Terrace, Drakewalls, Gunnislake, Cornwall, PL18 9ES
Phone: 01822 833681
Email: rbartlett@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Grenville Chappel (Independent: Falmouth Penwerris)
26 Grenville Road, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 2NW
Mobile: 07799 143588
Email: gchappel@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr George Edwards (Liberal Democrat: Newquay Treloggan)
Flat 18, Chymedden, Trebarwith Crescent, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 1TG
Phone: 01637 852251
Email: gedwards@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Steve Eva (Independent: Falmouth Arwenack)
34 Trescobeas Road, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 2JG
Phone: 01326 311539, Mobile: 07974 812103
Email: seva@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Brian Hobbs (Liberal Democrat: Torpoint East)
41 Peacock Avenue, Torpoint, Cornwall, PL11 2EX
Phone: 01752 814575
Email: bhobbs@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Scott Mann (Conservative: Wadebridge West
3 Bethan Drive, Wadebridge, Cornwall, PL27 7RW
Phone: 01208 815561
Email: smann@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Mick Martin (Conservative: Lanivet)
Galorndon Core, Millpool, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL30 4HZ
Phone: 01208 821200
Email: mmartin@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Chris Pascoe (Liberal Democrat, Threemilestone and Gloweth)
Willow Green Farm, Threemilestone, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9AL
Phone: 01872 263612, Mobile: 07971 573766
Email: chpascoe@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Liz Penhaligon (Conservative: Lelant and Carbis Bay)
Sovigo, 47 Upton Towans, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 5BL
Phone: 01736 756939
Email: epenhaligon@cornwall.gov.uk
Cllr Christopher Rowe (Liberal Democrat: Penwithick)
Sanfernando, 78 Treverbyn Road, Carclaze, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 4EW
Phone: 01726 75835, Mobile: 07974 944683
Email: chrisrowe@sanfernando.fsnet.uk
JUDICIAL REVIEW
A previous decision in August 2010 by Cornwall Council's Miscellaneous Licensing Committe, by seven votes to three, to grant a license to the sex-shop, 'Mrs Palm', was overturned on Judicial Review and the license quashed in June 2011 after an application from the Christian Institute on behalf of Truro resident and former County councillor Mrs Armorel Carlyon.
However, the owners of the sex-shop immediately applied for a 'waiver' to trade without a license in the interim and that was granted by the Council's Miscellaneous Licensing Committee. An attempt by the Christian Institute to challenge the grant of the waiver by Judicial Review was refused by the High Court on Monday 22nd August 2011.
The result is that the 'Mrs Palm' sex-shop is open and trading already on the waiver in advance of the license re-hearing.
INAPPROPRIATE LOCATION
The objectors say that the sex-shop is inappropriate in Truro, which is a Cathedral city popular with tourists and families and which already has an unlicensed 'Ann Summers' shop which sells mainly lingerie. They observe that Cornwall Council can lawfully set the 'appropriate number' of sex-shops in Truro at 'Nil' under the relevant Act of Parliament.
In any case, they say that right next-door to a school uniform outfitters is not an appropriate location for a sex-shop. Campaigners say that if a sex-shop can open in a Cathedral city next-door to a shop whose business depends on a regular traffic of school-children, such an establishment can open anywhere.
They have noted that Northamptonshire Council recently rejected a plan to convert a disused corner shop into a takeaway fish and chip shop, on the grounds that its location, in the vicinity of two schools, could undermine health policies. While health appears to a factor local authorities can take into consideration, moral issues are not listed among those which a council can take into account when deciding upon an application for a sex-shop.
PETITION PRESENTED
A 700-strong petition against the sex-shop was presented to the Council after being gathered by the owners of Trevails, the school outfitters shop. Many of their customers have expressed disquiet at having to walk past 'Mrs Palm' to buy school uniforms. 99 letters of objection were sent in.
Cornwall Council is Conservative-controlled with the support of the Independent Group (Cons 48 seats, LibDem 40, Ind 32) and the Chairman of the Council's Miscellaneous Licensing Committee, Jim Flashman, is a Conservative. Elections to the Council will be held again in May 2013.
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