Almost 300 people have objected to a Whitechapel strip club's request to renew its licence.
The Nags Head in Whitechapel Road wants Tower Hamlets Council to renew its sexual entertainment venue licence for another year, but the council has received 299 objections to the application.
Many objections said it was inappropriate for a strip club to operate close to schools, homes, parks and religious buildings.
One resident, Forhan Ahmed, told the council: "Whitechapel is a densely populated, culturally rich, and family-focused community.
"It is home to schools, places of worship, youth facilities, and public parks. The presence of a fully nude striptease venue in such a setting is not only inappropriate - it is irresponsible."
Another resident, Jubeda Khanum, opposed the "objectification and exploitation of women". She said: "Strip clubs are often criticised for reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes and contributing to a culture that normalises the commodification of women's bodies.
"In many cases, there are also concerns about working conditions, coercion, and exploitation within the industry."
Of the 299 objections, the council claimed only 30 were valid. It said 83 were invalid as the objectors didn't provide their full names or addresses and a further 186 were "based solely on moral grounds, which are not matters for consideration" by the council's licensing committee.
Two people - described in council licensing committee papers as customers of The Nags Head - wrote in support of the application.
One, James Frankcom, said opposition to the venue is "based on rampant cultural intolerance".
He said: "Objections to the venue or its permitted activities therein which are based on an antipathy to the idea of nudity or which are based on subjective notions of morality are irrelevant to the conditions of the license and such
objections do not objectively represent the entire community who have a range of opinions on the matter."
Another, C.Biggs, said the venue "is responsibly managed and has not caused any disruption to the local area".
Councillors previously voted to strip the Nags Head of its licence in 2023 following a visit by undercover council licensing officers. The officers each paid for a private VIP dance during which performers rubbed their breasts in their faces.
However, the licence holder appealed against the decision, and the council agreed to reinstate the licence with extra conditions attached. These included regular unnannounced visits to the venue by an independent compliance auditor, and more stringent monitoring of private performance areas.
The council adopted a policy of limiting the number of sexual entertainment venues in the borough to zero in 2013. However, the policy said this limit didn't apply to venues that were already operating before this date.
Councillors on a licensing regulatory committee are set to hold a hearing for the Whitechapel application next Thursday, 18th September.
