Repeat, Repeat and Repeat Again

So my life can be very boring it seems as I was sitting through a live update on the license application for Chronicles in Reading to get its SEV. All seemed very normal no police objections, 8 letters sent in and only one objector turn up to speak against and that was a worry about noise which he venue covered but at the end when all was discussed the license was refused based on the demeanour of the area. So I started writing this piece about the stupidity of closing venues or stopping new licenses based on an area when there are no objections or at east no really valid objections that are not covered by the application. I was going to post this a couple of days ago but health issues, a family birthday and trying to find out details of a couple of things meant this piece is 3 days late.

No SEV because of the area apparently

Anyway yesterday morning I was checking my mail and a google alert flagged an article in the Yorkshire Evening Post about the 3 closed venues in Leeds and how they have remained empty since they were forced to close. Anyone reading my posts will know that they has been an increase in violent and sexual crimes since the venues closed and my got reaction was they must have opened night clubs or similar but it turns out the building are just empty. Which raises the issue when do morals migrate into excuses? We know that Leeds forced the issue hiding behind the Tour de France starting in the Headrow with two clubs right by the start. So to the rest of Leeds there was this facade that the campaign was all about image rather than morals which we know councils shouldn't raise in these debates.

So we see yet again the stupidity about location. Is there a school near by? Probably in most towns but since when do most schools operate in the middle of the night? We have said again and again this what about the kiddies thing is stupid. How many parents let their kids out in the middle of the night? So long as the clubs use discreet signage and avoid overt language in the names kids won't take a blind bit of notice. The real issue is some parents are imposing their own morality onto the club and this causes unfounded fears. The research is out there, Professor Hubbard's research showed that many people could actually walk past the clubs without even knowing they were there. However this has been ignored by councils who now play the moral guardian game and doing the thinking for the public.

I do get annoyed by having the same stupidity occur again and again. If it was Object and their ilk then yes I can understand it as they will not read up on any research that may show their thinking is wrong in the same way that they wont engage with dancers because the possibility that some real people who know the industry disagree with their paid for ex dancer who co wrote their book that they quote and quote. So if you see a councillor in the press getting on his or her high horse then we must show them that the facts are out there. It becomes a really simple question/message why are councils ignoring academic work? It plays like they are pushing their own agendas which never sits right for me.

Finally just before I was going to publish this I stumbled on an article in a local Barnsley Online Newspaper about a man being attacked near Wildcats. You will note it is near Wildcats not UK Pizza, Sizzlers, The Shakespeare or even Hope House School. The article doesn't claim that the attack was anything to do with the club, which it may be, but it could be anywhere else in the area. Just seems it makes a good story assigning blame without actually being sure who is to blame or why, just no need when a SEV is close by as it it brings a little sex to the story rather than actually trying to report just the facts. This is not the first time we have seen this style of reporting where the first instinct of a reporter is to create a scare about a club without having proof to back this up.

TonyN (tonyprince@acdcfan.com)