A full review of the Brothels (Location and Commercial Sexual Services Signage) Bylaw 2013 has resulted in some minor amendments being proposed.
Project status: Decision made
Open for feedback: 1 August 2018 to 3 September 2018
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Consultation has now closed
Named submissions and a staff report were considered by the Hearings Panel. These documents are now available online(external link).
The Hearings Panel considered all information presented and will make a recommendation to the Council, who will then make a final decision.
Background and coverage of the Brothels Bylaw
As a Council, we have to review all of our bylaws on a regular basis and we’ve now carried out a review of the 2013 brothels bylaw. This review is needed to make sure our controls for brothels remain effective and reflect any changes in circumstances.
We consider that the brothels bylaw has largely been working well and propose to retain the current restrictions on signage and location including the rules which prevent the location of brothels within multi-unit residential complexes. Our proposal is to make some relatively minor changes to the bylaw’s layout and wording to make it more user-friendly and easier to understand including:
- Improving the format and layout of the maps showing the areas where operator-run brothels are allowed;
- New explanatory notes to clarify the effect of the bylaw, to outline the reasons for the current controls e.g. the ‘brothels allowed areas’ and to describe how both the bylaw and the rules of the district plan apply to brothels;
- A separate section (clause 5) covering small owner-operated brothels (SOOBs) to help make the bylaw requirements easier to understand, including how they relate to the district plan home occupation rules.
You can also read the full proposed amendments to the bylaw before making a submission below.