Bid thrown out after warnings from heads

HEADTEACHERS at three private schools have told the Town Hall that sex shops must be prevented from opening in Swiss Cottage.
The warning came as Ray Darker, a leading figure in the UK porn industry, lost his bid to sell videos and magazines from a shop in Finchley Road.
Councillors threw out the application by Darker Enterprises, a business empire with more than 90 sex shops in its portfolio nationwide, on Thursday night.
The refusal came after three headteachers at schools in the area urged the Town Hall to reject Mr Darker’s proposal.
The heads warned that a new sex shop would undermine attempts to get pupils to walk to school because parents would be unwilling to let their children pass Mr Darker’s shop.
In a written warning, seen by decision-making councillors, Jenny Stephen, head at South Hampstead High School for Girls in Maresfield Gardens, said: “Young girls are curious by nature. The fact that, as I understand it, the windows are to be opaque in a young child’s and young adult’s eye merely adds to the curiosity.
“Siting of such a shop on the major and main pedestrian route whereby young girls have no option but to pass the said sex shop is opportunist in the extreme.”
Philip Anderson, headteacher at St Anthony’s School in Fitzjohn’s Avenue, said his school had always encouraged its children to travel independently.
He added: “I view these developments as an obstruction to independent travel.”
There was also an objection from Harry Pierson, head at Hall School in Crossfield Road, who said: “Camden is encouraging schools and parents in greater use of public transport and walking initiatives.
“The application by Darker Enterprises runs contrary to this objective.”
Councillors were shown the objections, submitted alongside complaints from residents and Tory ward councillors, at Thursday’s meeting before quizzing representatives from Darker Enterprises.
The porn chain showed photographs of shops in Southampton, Portsmouth and Manchester with low-key frontages.
Frank Sullivan, representing Darker Enterprises, said: “The advantage of licensing is that you can impose restrictions on what the shop looks like. We do not use shop displays.”
He added that anyone suspected of being under 18 found inside the shop would have to show ID to carry on shopping.
Following rejection of the application, Mr Darker must now appeal through the courts if he wants to revive his hopes of opening a shop in the area.