Checkmates strip club says drunken Salvation Army clients are forcing it to move from Pirie St

A PUSH by one of Adelaide’s oldest strip clubs to move to another part of the city has been rejected, as the club claims drunken behaviour by next-door Salvation Army clients is forcing its hand.

Checkmates and Salvation Army on PirieStreet, Adelaide

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ADELAIDE City councillors have rejected an attempt by a strip club to move from Pirie St to Grote St and would rather see it in Hindley St, but its owners are worried that would damage its reputation.

The Checkmates club had sought council development approval to move just a few doors down from a 260-apartment development and a Catholic school, and planning staff had recommended approval.

But the council’s development assessment panel rejected the application last night, citing its inability to meet the desired character of the area.

Councillors Anne Moran and Natasha Malani said they would prefer to see the club in the Hindley St and Light Square precinct.

“We have always said that police say to us, the council says to us, the state says to us, ‘aren’t we lucky that we have an adult entertainment zone that’s in one spot’,” Ms Moran said.

“The police have come to council over 20 years and said over and over, ‘do not allow this spread’, it’s hard enough to police in Hindley St and Light Square ... and keep the streets safe.”

But Checkmates director Anthony Prideaux — who yesterday claimed that drunken clients of a nearby Salvation Army church were giving his Pirie St business a bad name — said the club wanted to move away from the reputation that surrounds the adult entertainment industry.

“We want to be bright, airy and fun, not a dark, dingy strip club,” he said.

“There are four clubs there (in Hindley St) doing exactly ... that and it’s why we didn’t want to go to Hindley because that’s what people’s expectation is.” Mr Prideaux said he would seek legal advice.

Under development plan amendments, the entire “capital city zone” is now deemed “appropriate” for adult entertainment premises, which can be approved on merit.

Council planners have indicated that a future review of the development plan will take into account the fact that adult entertainment venues are now not restricted to one part of the city. Mrs Moran said that the development plan “seems to have gone backwards ... by removing the direction to have the adult entertainment in a smaller, policed zone where there are no residents near”.

EARLIER

Checkmates had claimed it was drunk and violent behaviour by clients of the neighbouring Salvation Army church that was forcing it to abandon its home of 34 years.

The strip club had planned to use food trucks in Grote St to run themed events just a few doors down from a 260-apartment development.

Checkmates says Saturday night gatherings of up to 200 homeless and disadvantaged people at the City Salvos Church result in large numbers spilling on to the street where drink, drugs and fights unfairly hurt the club’s reputation and hampered business — claims the church rejects.

Owner Tony Prideaux said Salvation Army clients stashed alcohol and drank on the club’s property, putting it at risk of liquor license breaches, and used its frontage as a toilet.

“Because they are the Salvation Army no one really wants to touch it because it is a political hot point. It’s out of control,” he said.

“Because they are not a licensed venue they don’t need security. Emergency services are there continuously, either ambulance or police.

“We have to clean urine and faeces off our steps because (the Salvos) allow them to sleep on their doorstep but don’t provide toilets for them.”

Disputes with the landlord over funding upgrades to the current club, and being within 20m of residential homes were other reasons for the proposed relocation to a vacant two-storey building on Grote St.

City Salvos senior pastor Matt Reeve said the church was focused on helping vulnerable people and some clients had addiction and mental health issues that occasionally required police or paramedic attention, but no emergency services had been needed “for months”.

He denied the church impacted the strip club’s business or reputation.

“I think it’s a little ironic the Salvation Army is getting the blame. That’s a misconception that everyone’s a drunk rolling around on the street,” he said.

“We are trying to be good neighbours but we have a different philosophy on different things.”

If the move is approved, Mr Prideaux said it would likely happen early next year.

The new club would contract local restaurants and food trucks to supply food rather than have its own kitchen, allowing for Mexican and other themed nights.

He said the venue would be far enough from the apartments to have no impact.

Adelaide City Council’s development assessment panel will assess the plans on Wednesday night. A council staff report recommends approval but Grote Business Precinct president David Buenfeld said traders and the developers of the Central Adelaide Apartments, under construction 50m east of the site Checkmates would occupy, were “vehemently opposed”.

“It’s not the sort of activity you would expect to have adjacent to a large residential development like that,” he said.