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Club puts the boot in over signs
Friday 2nd January 2009, 11:29AM GMT.
A cabaret bar in Darlaston is defying a legal order to remove advertising boards featuring a man wearing knee-high PVC boots.
Kinky Boots has still not removed the window signs despite being told to do so or face a hefty fine and court action.
Last month, planning chiefs ruled that the 4ft high boards, which were put up outside the Walsall Road venue without permission, should be taken down. The row triggered an on-line campaign on the social networking site Facebook.
Hundreds of supporters of the long-running gay bar joined the Facebook campaign.
But Bentley and Darlaston North councillor Keith Chambers said the signs should have been taken down as ordered and the owners had put themselves in the firing line.
“That was the right decision as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
“Quite a few people in the community found those images quite offensive and I share that view.
“The sooner those signs are taken down, the better,” he added.
Owners of the cabaret bar had claimed the windows at the former HSBC bank had frequently been hit by vandals, forcing them to put boards up to protect them.
But planning officers ruled the boards were too big and a breach of planning regulations and the club was given until the new year to take them down or face what could be a fine of thousands of pounds.
Frances Rudge, aged 65, of Phoenix Rise, Darlaston, was passing the club yesterday and gave her opinion on the advertisements which have attracted so much attention.
She said: “I have no problem with the club being where it is but think the signs are a bit in your face and a bit strong, especially for a busy road and a main junction.”
Mrs Rudge said it would be better if the signs were put on the side of the club rather than on the front where they can be seen by people who could be offended, such as passing mothers with children.
The club was unavailable for comment.
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OH MY GOD are people still coing on about this. If you make the bar remove the signs then you are doing nothing but discriminating against the bar. Again, and I’m sure that this has been asked millions of times. If the image was of a woman, then there would be no problem. I’m sure the LGBT would be interested in this. Also whatever happened to dicersity, I’m sure that as a local council, you should be supporting such diversities and not picking on them.
Keep the signs Kinky Boot, dont let them bully you !!!!!!
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Time people got a life and enjoy the life they have. Its taken time for people to complain have they run out of other things to complain about? I dont find them offensive at all. There should more posted in and around the surrounding downs, rather than the usual Gentlemens clubs posters (lapdancers girls, poledancer girls)that are poping up all around.
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I dont think it is a matter of defying the order…it is a matter of finance, the boards protect the windows, which would cost thousands of pounds frequently if they were uncovered. As for a mass of complaints recieved..wasnt that disclosed at the very underhanded planning council meeting (which condemned the boards) to be 3!! 2 of which was recieved after the puublicity…so thats mass condemnation for you!! PATHETIC!!
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it all sounds to me like a council trying to bully people again and show who is boss. this isnt hurting anyone so who cares!!
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I wonder if the boards would have been demanded to be removed if they were women?
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I moved from Darlaston almost 10 years ago but still have Uncles, Aunts and causins who have no problem with the Poster Boards. being an ex-licensee myself, i’m fully aware how homophobic certain members of our councils can be with having alot of problems from another council while I was in business after opening up a gay venue myself, surely plain boards would not be objected even if covering the window frames, but this would make the Venue look Derelict like alot of the shops on the high street. It doen’t matter what’s on the boards until someone complains, and someone always will, thats the nature of our society, some people need to complain. I understand from what i have read about that the number of complaints are very small in comparison to the extreemly large number of supporters surely the needs and wants of the many out way the few!
As for the windows getting smashed, with out the boards this will keep happening, i know how expensive it can be to keep replacing the windows, laminating them or sticking a perspex sheets of the windows, these boards reflect that the venue is a cabaret bar, and i’ve seen much worse on bill boards all along that main road right from Wolverhampton through to Walsall. Leave Paul alone he is just earning a living like the rest of us! Its some where we can go after work to have a drink, watch some fantastic entertainment and forget about the stresses of our busy hectic lifestyles. Its also good for the Community as its safe, friendly and encourages us to be a Community.
Lee Ward
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I feel that the council do discriminate against LGTB, i understand that it can be hard for mothers with small children to explain when passing the bar, but it’s 2009 shouldnt the council be encouraging diversity within society? not pin pointing and BULLYING those who are trying to enable a controlled enviroment for LGBT people.
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why dont you get the board at the rite size get local collage just to do the writing bigger kinky boots with out the pictures no one can say a word no picture to complain about and we still know kinky boots id here to stay it called playing the rules
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Regarding these “mothers with children” Mrs Rudge is so concerned about; do the mothers have any concers about the Pantomime Dames their children are subjected to? How about Lily Savage? Dame Edna Everage? What abour Peter Pan being played by a woman? How on earth do mothers explain all these issues to their children. If I lived or worked in Darlaston I’d be a lot more concerned about the large number of empty and derelict properties in the town, rather than a few advertising boards at a pub
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How rediculous, The council invites everyone to attend the planning hearing at 6pm and have it at 5.30..so the item is dicussed and dealt with before we get there!!
Then the supposed images were not the matter for issue yet its all everyone is talking about. I think if the images wasnt there then the 3 people wouldnt have complained and the council would never have identified a problem. The council should sort out its other buisiness..like crap schools, crap facilities for youths, and even crapper “expenses” being paid to councillors who are clearly homophobic…maybe then they could give Kinky Boots a grant to help with the cost of the replacing the boards and to help with vandalism issues!! instead of wasting their money and trying to get staff to take voluntary redundancies/early retirement as they are clearly over spending!! They are a discgrace! and nothing good will ever happen in Darlaston because those in charge gives a damn!
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