'Upgrade' planned for Honeypot lap dancing club amid licensing objections

The Honeypot lap dancing club in Maidenhead could be renamed and changed so that it is ‘in harmony’ with the area, a Royal Borough licensing panel heard this week. 

The club in Queen Street is facing more objections in its bid to renew its sexual entertainment venue (SEV) licence amid fears the establishment is inappropriate in an area which has seen an increase in residential development.

Its licence application, which must be made annually, was rejected in May 2024, with the developers behind the neighbouring One Maidenhead tower blocks among the objectors.

But the club fought back against the decision and was allowed to reopen in October 2024 after the Royal Borough ‘decided not to defend’ a legal challenge.

Now under the ownership of Admiral Bars (Maidenhead) Ltd, the club’s licence faced more scrutiny at a licensing and public space protection order (PSPO) subcommittee meeting yesterday (Monday).

Cllr Jack Douglas, an independent councillor for St Mary’s, told the Town Hall meeting that he is not against SEVs ‘in principle’ but in felt the application would be ‘inappropriate’ for a residential area.

Cllr Douglas said: “My opinion is that…this is now the most residential part of Maidenhead. There is nowhere else in the town where we have hundreds of dwellings literally overlooking the venue.”

Tim Barlow, from Ryger Maidenhead, the developers behind the One Maidenhead project, agreed that The Honeypot should ‘no longer’ be allowed to trade from its current venue.

Mr Barlow said: “In addition to the broad mix of residents, including young families, living opposite The Honeypot, there will be multinational occupiers in the offices before too long.

“[The Honeypot] is a potential obstacle to businesses committing to move to this town centre location which could hold back the town’s wider regeneration and economic improvement.”

But the club’s owner’s legal representative, Philip Kolvin KC, said refusing the application on moral grounds or suggesting it should move to a different location is not appropriate because this is ‘not a popularity contest’.

Mr Kolvin said: “[The Honeypot] is not one of the architectural beauties of Maidenhead currently. [The owner] wants to upgrade [the club] so that it’s more in harmony with the trading of the street.

He added that these changes will include choosing a different name for the club and removing any sexual imagery from its frontage.

There have also been no objections from Thames Valley Police, with Mr Kolvin arguing the club’s security makes Queen Street ‘safer’ rather than more dangerous.

But councillor Geoff Hill (Lib Dem, Oldfield) asked for clarification on the club’s opening hours.

Under its current licence, the venue’s opening hours run from 11am to 5am the next morning.

But the club’s opening hours, as advertised on the front door, are between 9pm and 5am, Cllr Hill added.

Greg Nelson, the council’s trading standards and licensing manager, said it’s ‘not unusual’ for licensed premises to be open for shorter hours than allowed in their licence.

Mr Kolvin said: “[The club] is open Tuesday to Saturday from 9pm to around three or 4am. So [the hours] are much narrower than [they are] on the licence. It’s a nighttime operation.”

Mr Kolvin was happy for a condition to be included which would change the opening hours of The Honeypot to between 6pm to 5am.