The door could be opened for strip clubs to open up in north-east towns as Aberdeenshire Council launches talks on the issue.
Currently, there is no legal requirement for sexual entertainment venues (SEVs) to be licensed in Scotland, other than for the sale of alcohol in those premises.
This year, councils have been offered the chance to review and potentially limit the number of venues that could operate in their communities.
There are no such venues in Aberdeenshire – yet the region’s licensing sub-committee nevertheless met recently to discuss the topic.
Members agreed to launch a public consultation to gather views on whether the council should impose a limit on the potential number of venues in the future.
Debate flared up on whether suggesting a potential limit of “zero” would dissuade people from taking part in the consultation.
East Garioch councillor Dominic Lonchay said “having a number of zero is restrictive” and said councillors should be wary about making “so-called hard rules”.
Chairman of the licensing sub-committee, Fergus Hood, who also represents East Garioch, took umbrage and said the suggested “zero” figure would “simply be giving the public a steer”.
Aberdeenshire Council will also consult with its neighbours in Aberdeen, Moray and Angus about the topic.
The online survey is now live and views will remain open until September 21. It can be found at
http://bit.ly/SEVshire
Watch the full meeting, on Youtube, below.