Sponsored by
Sawtry residents oppose sex store plan
Sawtry resident Keith Walters speaks at the public meeting to discuss opposition to the adult store at a meeting at Sawtry Community College last night. (METP-25-08-10BD300) Picture: BEN DAVIS
HUNDREDS of people packed out a public meeting to protest against a sex shop which they claim will “cast a shadow” over their village.
It was standing room only at Sawtry Community College last night as residents voiced their anger at the proposals.
Rotherham-based Cocktails Limited has asked Huntingdonshire District Council to let it re-open the premises – the former Little Chef, just off the A1(M) in Toll Bar Way – to sell “marital aids”.
They stress it will be on the outskirts of the village and will provide a “female-friendly” environment for couples.
But former Cambridgeshire County Councillor Keith Walters urged HDC to adopt a zero sex shops policy in the district.
He said: “Sawtry is a quiet, rural, family-friendly village.
“It’s not big enough to have a bank, building society and can’t have cable TV. But apparently, someone can impose a branch of the largest sex shops in Europe against our will.”
He said the strongest ground for residents to oppose the plans on was that it was inappropriate to the character of the locality.
Canon Malcolm Griffith, rector of the parish, was also a fierce critic.
He said: “They sell hardcore pornography, so extreme it can’t be purchased on the internet. How dare this company think they can bring this kind of filth into our community?”
Resident Liz Coates of Church Causeway said she feared the explicit products could get into the hands of youngsters.
John Smith of Ashdale Close said residents were not “killjoys”, but they were against hardcore material. District councillor Darren Tysoe urged people to write to HDC’s licensing manager Greg Peck.
Huntingdonshire District Council is due to make a decision on the proposal on September 8.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Peterborough
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 1 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Goudy
Friday, August 27, 2010 at 02:56 PMI feel for the residents of Sawtry as we have been the subject of a similar situation in Guyhirn. Not only have we had a licence given to a sex shop in the former Little Chef premises but it is located directly opposite a childrens play centre and family bowling alley. The village also has no facilities such as bank or shops. The only shop is directly adjacent to the sex shop. Despite a vigorous protest from a large number of villagers opposing the move the application was still granted. It is located on the A47. Government guidelines state that they should not be located on major routes. This was ignored by Fenland councillors. The reason given by the councillors was that as the premises already had retail use the owners would be able to open a sex shop anyway but would not be able to sell hardcore without a licence. Fenland said that Issuing a licence would give them control over the premises. They could control the size of the signs. That didn't happen. Good Luck Sawtry. We even got the support of our MP. Nothing is going to stop your councillors as the moral side of the story will not come into it. What will be next. Brothels maybe!!!!!!
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.