Gloucester sex hotel to go ahead

Controversial plans to transform a Gloucester hotel into a 'sex club' are to go ahead – despite having had planning permission denied last month.

The proposals will see the New County Hotel in Southgate Street become Club Mystique.

The club will offer both gay nights and swingers' nights, and will include themed playrooms on the first floor.

The ground floor of the hotel will become a restaurant specialising in vegetarian food.

Planning permission for the project was denied controversially at Gloucester City Council's planning committee last month.

Councillors voted against the plans, saying the hotel was not suitable for a city centre location.

More than 40 objections were received from the public, whose fears included the effect the plans would have on the area.

However, the company behind the plans has taken legal advice on the matter, and say they are now pressing ahead with the transformation.

A spokesman for Mystique's said; "We have taken legal advice, and as it turns out, we did not require any planning consent for change of use and it was a complete waste of time causing unnecessary delay's.

"We are very disappointed with this and are continuing to take legal advice on this matter.

"However, our focus now is to source as much talent into the hotel as possible.

"We will also be offering gallery space and sculpture space at the hotel so that local artists can sell their work to our visitors should they want to buy it."

"We would also like to thank our investor who backed us when the banks wouldn't due to the present climate.

"Without them, this project would not be going ahead."

Coun Andrew Lewis (Con, Quedgeley Severn Vale), voted against the plans at the planning meeting.

He said: "The restaurant and bar plans are fine, the city centre needs more facilities like these.

"However, I do still have concerns over the club plans.

"If this is the law, then that is the way it goes, but I still believe it is not in an appropriate place.

"That is not a homophobic stance, I just feel it is the wrong place for such a club."

Coun Mary Smith (Lab, Matson), had slammed the decision to deny planning permission to the club, saying she felt the committee had voted on moral grounds rather than on planning grounds.

She said: "If that is the law, fine, we will keep a close eye on the hotel and I am sure it will not prove as problematical as some have suggested it will be."

Hugh Worsnip, spokesman for Gloucester Civic Trust said: "As far as we are concerned, we are only worried about the building.

"These plans will see a grade two listed building in an important part of the city brought back into use. They will also see it retained as a hotel rather than flats, which is exactly what we would want to see."