CAMPAIGNERS and residents are celebrating after Haringey Council rejected plans to turn a Crouch End nightclub into a strip joint. The owners of the Music Palace in Tottenham Lane had hoped to transform their nightclub into a lap dancing

Charlotte Newton

CAMPAIGNERS and residents are celebrating after Haringey Council rejected plans to turn a Crouch End nightclub into a strip joint.

The owners of the Music Palace in Tottenham Lane had hoped to transform their nightclub into a lap dancing club with strip shows from 6pm until 2am on weekdays - and until 11pm on Sundays. But Haringey's licensing committee turned down the application on Friday night.

After the meeting, Crouch End Lib Dem Councillor David Winskill said: "This has been an absolutely fantastic victory for a campaign rooted in the heart of the community.

"I'm delighted that the licensing committee listened carefully to all of our arguments which were based not on sentiment or morality, but on licensing objectives.

"I hope that the applicants will reflect carefully on this outcome and agree with Crouch Enders and the licensing councillors that this is not the place for a lap dancing club."

Lap Off - a campaign group which formed to fight the application - collected 2,000 signatures from Crouch End residents who were opposed to it. At meeting on Thursday September 10, residents and the headteacher of Hornsey School for Girls voiced concern about the inappropriate location of the proposed venue which is a few hundred yards from Hornsey School for Girls and is opposite Rokesly Infant and Junior Schools.

They pointed out that is also close to the YMCA building, which houses vulnerable young people, and the charity Action for Kids, which helps physically disabled and mentally vulnerable young people.

But the owners of the Music Palace were given one concession on Friday night. Councillors agreed to let the venue have an extended licence to serve alcohol from 11am until 2am from Monday to Saturday - and from 11am until 11pm on Sundays.

It is understood that the club owner Serdal Ziya is considering her options in light of Friday's decision - and may appeal through the courts.