Swingers club planned for Bankhead

Plans to open a huge ‘swingers club’ in an Edinburgh industrial estate should be looked at “very closely” a local councillor has said.

If given the go ahead, former offices at Bankhead Industrial Estate will be converted into an adults-only swingers club.

Cornucopia, the Edinburgh-based company behind the plans, said the members-only club will “all be consenting adults” with no sex workers involved in the scheme. 

Permission is being sought for a change of use of former Napier University offices near to a plumbers’ merchants within the industrial park in Sighthill. 

Swingers clubs around the UK exist as venues where couple will meet up and engage in sexual activities. 

Blueprints for the Edinburgh site show renovations would be carried out to subdivide the 6,200 sq feet space into around 20 private rooms. 

The applicant said the venue on Bankhead Terrace would not be open during the day whilst neighbouring businesses are operational, and added it would not cause “undue noise” to nearby properties. 

They also argued that whilst there has previously been “contention” surrounding the permitting of private adult venues within the city centre, the development would be suitable as it is “far more secluded and will not be easily accessible by members of the public or children”.

However, Labour councillor for Sighthill Ross McKenzie said the plans should be looked at “very closely” due to the remote location of the site. 

He said: “Instinctively, I worry about the isolated location.

“If someone changes their mind about being there, and chooses to leave, they’ll be walking out into an empty industrial estate.”

But Cornucopia claimed the operation of sex clubs is “unavoidable,” adding: “Permitting them to legally operate and allowing them to do so in an area that reduces risk to all parties as far as possible is the best option for ensuring this.”

A statement included in the application, which is awaiting a decision from council planners, states: “The club will be for patrons, and does not have any sex workers providing entertainment, and the members will all be consenting adults.

“The tenant wishes to operate the space as a private adult club and wishes to secure this change of use to renovate the space to make it appropriate for this use. This includes the addition of various private rooms and open rooms of varying sizes throughout the 6200sqft floorspace.”

 It comes as Edinburgh City Council has taken action against sexual entertainment venues, with the authority ready to pt a controversial ban on strip clubs and lap dancing bars in place from next year. 

by Donald Turvill, Local Democracy Reporter 

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency: funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.