Gay sauna in Luton, UK not extended a license: too close to a mosque

[Capetan Mihali]

Even in baptist Texas they've got strip clubs next door to elementary schools.

Really?  I'm skeptical, even in zoning-free Houston.  In most of America, sex-oriented businesses are subject to a lot of placement restrictions.  And these have been upheld by the Supreme Court against First Amendment challenges in a series of cases in the 70s.

[Sheilbh]

Far, far too many. It seems to me the primary rights to be protected should be those of the property owner, not the bitchy neighbors.

Disagree. I think there's a balance to be struck between the property right of the owner and the rights of everyone else to the peaceful enjoyment of their property. That also has to be balanced against the wider interests: preservation of the identity of a community/area v new development for example.

You can't just enjoy your land however you want if that affects the enjoyment of my land.

Even in baptist Texas they've got strip clubs next door to elementary schools.

Not a hope in hell here. I mean for a start we have far, far fewer strip clubs.

A big issue at the minute in London at least is the huge increase in numbers of betting shops following a liberalisation of the planning laws under New Labour. Now generally seen as probably a mistake.

[jimmy olsen]

Besides, this seems overly prudish for a largely secular western european nation anyway. Even in baptist Texas they've got strip clubs next door to elementary schools.

It makes it easier for the underpaid teachers to get to their second job.

[LaCroix]

teachers make a decent living with benefits, don't they?

[Razgovory]

Edit: I'm intrigued do these restrictions not exist at all in the US? Obviously it's not the case here but it would have a big effect on the price of your property if that lovely bakery down the road suddenly sold up and became a sex shop

Of course they do.  It's all in zoning laws.  Typically it's a municipal thing.  People really don't want to live next to a fertilizer plant.  People move out into the country where they are free not to have zoning.  Then someone builds a factory farm next door, the local water becomes tainted and it stinks of pig shit for three miles 'round.  Then Raz laughs at the bumpkin dipshits when they demand someone do something, but nobody can because they live in the county.

[Berkut]

The OP said they withdrew the application themselves. How is that an example of Islamization or whatever?

Would this be some terrible thing if the story was exactly the same except the people objecting were local Christians?

[MadImmortalMan]

teachers make a decent living with benefits, don't they?

Some of them probably get bored over the summer.

[sbr]

The OP said they withdrew the application themselves. How is that an example of Islamization or whatever?

Would this be some terrible thing if the story was exactly the same except the people objecting were local Christians?

I like that there were over 530 people who came out against the license, but since one of them was a member of the nearby mosque - ERMEGERD MOOSLIMS EVERYWHERE!!!

[viper37]

Would this be some terrible thing if the story was exactly the same except the people objecting were local Christians?

yes.

[dps]

Even in baptist Texas they've got strip clubs next door to elementary schools.

Really?  I'm skeptical, even in zoning-free Houston.  In most of America, sex-oriented businesses are subject to a lot of placement restrictions.  And these have been upheld by the Supreme Court against First Amendment challenges in a series of cases in the 70s.

Yeah, and typical restrictions don't allow porn shops, strip clubs, etc., within a certain distance of a school or house of worship.  But those restrictions would apply equally to those sex shops that cater to a straight clientele as those that cater to gays, and it wouldn't matter what religion the place of worship is part of.

OTOH, some places don't allow a new sex shop within a certain distance of an existing sex shop.  That's probably actually a better approach.  An area with just a single porn shop is probably just as safe as if the shop wasn't there, whereas restrictions that cause porn shops to cluster tend to lead to red-light districts which can be relatively dangerous.

[MadImmortalMan]

Humans seem to have an inborn proclivity to want to tell each other what to do. Well, many of them do.

Isn't part of maturity reaching that stage where you stop trying to solve problems by fixing the world around you to suit yourself rather than trying to adapt to suit your surroundings? I think the concept of licensing was created by tribal-thinking immature people. It takes a certain amount of narcissistic petulance to think you should have a say in what your neighbors do on their own property if they aren't hurting you.

[dps]

I think the concept of licensing was created by tribal-thinking immature people. 

I think it more likely it was created by governments to generate revenue.

If you're basically interested in telling people what to do, you'd want to ban stuff, not license it.

[Martinus]

Would this be some terrible thing if the story was exactly the same except the people objecting were local Christians?

Of course. Seriously, are you really trying to attack my position from the angle that I am too soft on Christians? 

[The Brain]

I don't think it's unreasonable to require a license for this stuff, but it seems bizarre to me to let the neighbors have a say in something like this.

[Admiral Yi]

Does London have areas that are zoned purely commercial, or are businesses and residences all jumbled together?