A CONTROVERSIAL strip club could be set to reopen under new ownership with a bid made to transfer the defunct venue's licence.

Club World Limited has submitted an application to transfer the sex entertainment venue licence for Climax, in St Botolph's Street, Colchester.

Such an application is made when a new owner takes on the premises in order to legally operate the licensed activities from the venue.

Top Drawer Entertainment, the owners of lapdancing club and late night bar Climax, appointed liquidators at the end of 2020 after running up debits of £68,650, with assets of just £4,850.

At the time directors said they chose to put the company into liquidation after being unable to pay a tax bill of £55,000.

The strip club had a chequered past and in 2012 residents campaigned for it to be closed down after it had to apply for a sex entertainment venue licence under new legislation.

Colchester Council granted the licence, with club changing its name from Heaven to Climax under new ownership.

The Essex Feminist Collective welcomed the club's closure and founding member Elisa Vasquez-Walters said she was disappointed to see the new application come forward.

Gazette: Essex Feminist Collective welcomed the strip club's closureEssex Feminist Collective welcomed the strip club's closure

"It is 2021 and there should not be a place for this sort of thing," she said.

"We will look at the application and put in an objection. It is difficult, however, as you cannot object on moral grounds or the grounds we would object on.

"There is almost an automatic go ahead for these kind of things."

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She added the area around St Botolph's Street and Queen Street had a bit of a reputation, which significant steps had been made to improve.

"It is a bit of a beleaguered area of the town at the best of times but they have tried hard to improve things," she said.

"Having this sort of thing there does nothing for the image of this part of the town."

Colchester Council will have the final say on whether to grant the licence transfer.

The Gazette could not find any information on Club World Limited online so was unable to contact the firm.

You can view the details of licence application here.