Councillors unanimously approve Honeypot licence renewal 

The Honeypot lap dancing club in Maidenhead has had its sexual entertainment licence (SEV) renewed for another year after councillors rejected concerns that it is in an increasingly residential area.

The club in Queen Street has faced more objections in its bid to renew the SEV amid fears the establishment is inappropriate in an area which has seen a rise in residential development.

The developers behind the neighbouring One Maidenhead tower blocks were among the objectors, saying a ‘broad mix of residents, including young families’ now live opposite the strip club.

But panel members at a licensing and public space protection order sub-committee, which met on Monday, January 12, voted to unanimously approve the licence application after agreeing that Queen Street should not be considered a residential area, and the Honeypot is within the town centre on ‘a busy street with a number of late-night venues’.

The panellists – Cllr Geoff Hill, Cllr Sian Martin and Cllr Mark Wilson – also felt the club has previously been ‘securely and professionally run’ and had operated without complaint for many years.

They also agreed sexual entertainment venues ‘were a lawful form of business and that adults were free to go there if they wished, even if others found SEVs distasteful or objectionable’ and felt there were no other grounds to refuse the application.

The licensing application, which must be made every year, was approved subject to conditions including changes to the permitted opening hours (6pm-5am daily), the removal of any sexualised imagery from the outside of the building, and the adoption of written policies on the use of illegal drugs and customer entry.

The decision follows controversy over the Honeypot’s future over the past two years.

The venue’s SEV licence was rejected in May 2024, with the One Maidenhead developers again among the objectors.

But then-owner John Sennett fought back against the decision and the club was allowed to reopen in October 2024 after the Royal Borough ‘decided not to defend’ a legal challenge.

The club is under the new ownership of Admiral Bars (Maidenhead) Ltd and is now planning a ‘substantial’ investment and a name change.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) after the meeting, the club’s area manager, Nas Mal, said: “We’re pleased that the committee found that, on a busy street in Maidenhead town centre with a number of late-night venues, that it was an appropriate location for [The Honeypot to] continue securely and professionally running our business.”

“We’ll be elevating the night-time hospitality and entertainment in Maidenhead.”