Defeated owner to show shop secrets
THE owner of a Worthing sex shop believes the council will regret its decision last week to refuse her a full licence.
Currently, Kathy Sutton, who runs Secret Desires in Rowlands Road, only allows over 18s into the store, which has blue screens on the window to keep it discreet.
She wanted the licence to allow her to sell more hardcore and uncensored DVDs, which she said would have generated more income.
But following the rejection of the application at a meeting of the council's licensing committee on Wednesday last week, she plans to change the way the shop operates.
Speaking after the meeting, Miss Sutton said: "For the past year I've run my shop like a licensed premises to show the council it wouldn't have an effect on the area or cause any problems, which it hasn't.
"But now, as I haven't been granted the licence, I'm not going to have an age restriction and will be putting bright signs in my window, advertising offers on things like condoms.
"I'm a businesswoman, so if I can make money by doing this, which is something I'm legally entitled to do, then, of course, I'm going to.
"Surely, it would have been better for the council to have a licensed premises they could regulate. They have possibly just caused themselves more problems this way."
Miss Sutton's plans are likely to anger ardent moral campaigner Steve Stevens, who, along with several others in the public gallery, enthusiastically applauded the councillors' decision.
Mr Stevens, 87, also of Rowlands Road, spoke at the meeting to say the granting of the licence would lead to "undesirables" being in the area.
He also pointed out the close proximity to the shop of two children's homes, a nursery and a chemist where mothers and children frequently go.
Solicitor Peter Fortune, speaking on behalf of Miss Sutton, spoke to say that giving the premises a licence would make little difference.
He reinforced the point that the only thing that would change would be the content of some DVDs, stating the outer appearance of the shop would remain the same if it were licensed.
But chairman of the committee councillor Jacqui Marsh said: "We believe it would be inappropriate having regard to the character of the locality where the premises is situated, which is mainly residential.
"We have not been persuaded by the applicant's argument."
DO you think the council were right to deny Secret Desires a full licence?
We want to know what readers think in light of the plans revealed by owner Kathy Sutton this week.
Have your say by scrolling to the bottom of our website home page and voting.
The results will be printed next week.
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Weather for Worthing
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
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