Reading Borough Council's Licensing Applications Sub-Committee will hear the plans on October 10

Reading Borough Council's Licensing Applications Sub-Committee will meet on October 10 following an application from KOALA.

Proposals submitted by Treehouse Bar Limited could see the adult entertainment hub open seven days a week from 9pm to 3am on Friar Street.

There are currently two sex shops already in the town on Southampton Street and Oxford Road, with an additional premises operating with a lap dancing club on St Marys Butts.

If successful, the club will require a Sex Establishment Venue licence, with plans for dance booths with full nudity outlined.

Richard French, a council officer, slammed the plans as 'inappropriate' and recommended the council refuse the application.

He said: "The Licensing team wish to object to the application on the grounds that the grant of the licence would be inappropriate having regard to the character of the relevant locality in which this venue proposes to operate.

"The premises sits on a main arterial road of Reading's night time economy, a prominent shopping street, a major thoroughfare for foot traffic and is directly opposite shops and student accommodation.

"Friar Street also contains a busy church which is often used as a place of refuge and has an increasing amount of student accommodation.

"The potentially unsuitable layout of the premises - particularly the upstairs - could lead to public and employee safety concerns.

"The council would also have to consider if it would assist with current efforts to regenerate the town centre as a whole and whether the aspiration to make the town centre welcoming for all would be best served by adding a venue that may make some uncomfortable and potentially make the town centre feel off limits to them."

Kinky KOALA opened on Friar Street in December a year after The Treehouse bar lost its licence.

Officers from Thames Valley Police (TVP) raised concerns about a series of incidents, including one where a woman was glassed during a fight.

PC Simon Wheeler from TVP's Licensing department, echoed the concerns of the council, adding: "We would recommend that no consumption of alcohol by dancers takes place while they are engaged in paid employment on the premises.

"Although businesses of this nature when run professionally and in line with Sex Establishment policy appear to cause few issues of crime and disorder, in order to ensure this is the case we recommend our considerations are heard to prevent incidents."