Exeter City Council are asking residents for their views on its sex establishment policy.
The council have published a consultation questionnaire on Sex Entertainment Venues (SEVs) in Exeter, however one Devon group is unhappy with the current policy and is asking Devon MP's to speak out at the effect of Sex Entertainment Venues in the city.
The current interim policy limits the number of SEVs to one in the City Centre and zero elsewhere. It also restricts the number of sex shops to two.
The Council would like to consult the public and other interested parties on whether this is appropriate to have a policy and if so, what sort of controls and conditions should be included to ensure that the premises are situated in appropriate locations and properly managed.
But one Devon organisation believes the council should do more to spell out the facts on sex establishments in the city and are worried the public will be misled by the policy.
Fawcett, the UK's leading campaign for equality between women and men, are calling for clearer facts from the council.
A statement on The Fawcett Devon website reads:
"The lack of open feedback options is extremely concerning. Nowhere is there room to say how these places demean women and normalise objectification.
"We also believe the general public will be very misled by its coy use of "nudity".
A representative of the organisation said:
"Fawcett Devon is delighted with the anti-lap dancing stance taken by Stephen Gilbert, MP for St Austell and Newquay. As the national scandal of sex abuse and grooming revelations continues to be exposed we urge Devon's MPs, especially Hugo Swire and Ben Bradshsaw, who have clubs in their constituencies, to speak out about the effect of lap dancing clubs adding towards a culture which normalises the view of girls and women as sex objects."
A consultation questionnaire was published earlier this month with a large number of organisations in Exeter contacted for their thoughts, but residents' views are sought too.
Councillor Greg Sheldon, Lead Councillor for Environment and Leisure, said: "This is a really important policy and I think it is right that local people should be given the chance to have their say on the operation of lap dancing clubs and similar venues in the city."
The questionnaire can be filled on-line or downloaded from the Council's web-site at www.exeter.gov.uk/sexestablishmentpolicy
The consultation ends on 5 June.
