Skip to content

We use cookies on this site

If you don't want to accept cookies, you can change your preferences

Accept Manage cookies
  1. Home
  2. Business
  3. Licences, permits and registrations
  4. Sex establishments
  5. Sex establishment policy

Share your feedback on our website

We are making some improvements to our website and are looking for your feedback to help us understand more about your experience today. It will help us see how well it’s working and shape future changes.

Complete this short survey to let us know what you think – it should take no more than five minutes to complete. Thank you for your help.

Document icon

Sex establishment policy

This policy sets out our proposed approach to regulating sex establishments and the procedure that we will adopt in relation to applications for sex establishment licences.

  1. Overview
  2. Limits on the number of premises
  3. Location of premises
  1. Impact
  2. Applicants
  3. Premises appearance and layout

Limits on the number of licensed premises

We have determined that there are a sufficient number of sex shops, sex cinemas and sexual entertainment venues currently operating in the borough and we do not want to see an increase in the numbers of premises that are currently providing these activities.

We have adopted a policy to limit the number of sexual entertainment venues in the borough to ‘nil’; however we recognise that there are a number of businesses that have been providing sexual entertainment in Islington for several years.

As a result, we will not apply this limitation when considering renewal applications for premises that were trading prior to 1 April 2011 with express permission for the type of entertainment which is now defined as sexual entertainment, if they can continue to demonstrate:

  • high standards of management
  • a management structure and capacity to operate the venue 
  • the ability to adhere to the standard conditions for sex establishments.

We will consider each application on its merit although new applicants will have to demonstrate why we should depart from the ‘nil’ policy.

Furthermore, if any of the existing premises cease trading there is no presumption that we will consider any new applications more favourably.

Was this information helpful?



Data protection: We will handle your personal information in line with the Data Protection Act 1998 and in accordance with the council’s Fair Processing Notice.