Objections have been made to plans to extend the opening hours of a swingers club in Armley.
Pandora’s opened last year at Unit 2, Ledgard Way despite local concerns.
It currently has permission to open from 7pm until midnight Monday to Thursdays and on Sundays, and from 7pm to 2am on Friday and Saturdays.
But a new planning application could lead to the club extending its opening hours to Monday to Thursday 10am to 1am, Friday and Saturday 10am to 2am and Sunday from 10am to midnight.
Applicant Peter Hemingway says in the application:
“Our customers have requested that we extend our opening hours.”
Leeds West MP Rachel Reeves has objected to the new hours. She said:
“Armley already suffers from a lot of noise, anti-social behaviour and crime. It does not need more late-opening premises to potentially cause nuisance to residents into the early hours.
“The applicant has also asked to open from 10am – a huge increase in the overall trading hours. The infrastructure in place could not cater for this. The club advertise group booking for up 250 people. The car park could not possibly take all these cars, being used by the next door car wash during the day. This would cause huge problems for residents parking in the area and the existing businesses.
“The premises is 300 metres away from Armley Primary School. The proposed opening hours coincide with school times when parents will be walking their children home from school. It is not appropriate for this club to be open during these times and for parents to face questions from their children about what is going on in the club.”
Objections have also been made by the three Armley councillors Alison Lowe, James McKenna and Alice Smart.
Cllr Lowe said that removing the planning conditions restricting opening hours would be wrong for Armley. She added:
“Removing it would be inappropriate and unacceptable and be a further slap in the face for my beleaguered constituents who have a plethora of daily challenges to face – not least of which is its growing reputation as the sex capital of West Yorkshire.
“I further believe that health and safety of pedestrians and other road users would be seriously compromised by the additional traffic at this already busy and dangerous junction and that local businesses would be adversely affected – especially those abutting this applicant.”
A planning statement accompanying last year’s application said the premises would provide a discreet, clean, safe and controlled environment for the club members, adding:
“What members have in common is a desire to explore their sexual desires, often alongside their partner.
“The role of the club is to facilitate this within the premises, where participants can exercise their right to say ‘no thank you’ without explanation and set boundaries that will be respected.”
The latest planning application to revise opening hours can be viewed in full – and commented upon – here.
The club used to be a shoe shop.
Gay sauna reopens in Armley
A gay sauna which burned down in a fire last October has reopened this weekend – at Unit 2, Ledgard Way.
Steam Complex was originally based next to the bingo hall in Ayres Avenue until it was destroyed by a blaze in the early hours of the morning on October 18, 2016.
Its new website describes ‘phase one’ of their opening hours as 10am-7pm daily, with a 3pm finish on Sundays.
Steam relaunched on Saturday.
Our first hour of opening and we’ve had 55 guys so far – thank you for all your support – hope to see you here for launch week #meetatsteam
— Steam Complex Sauna (@steamsauna) November 4, 2017