A lap dancing bar has been given the green light to open close to the city's top visitor attraction.

Plans to turn the Blue Pelican bar into Bradford's first pole and lap dancing venue by licensee Kevin Morrisroe were given the final seal of approval during a hearing at Bradford Magistrates yesterday.

The decision followed months of opposition from the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television, around the corner from the planned Little Horton Lane bar. However, magistrates agreed to strict conditions on the club, including a ban on private cubicles and a 9pm start for dancing, initially approved by Bradford Council's licensing panel.

The 9pm start-time represented a compromise agreement after the Blue Pelican's owners had appealed against an earlier ruling by the licensing panel that dancing should not start before 11pm.

The venue had initially applied for a 7pm start time.

The NMPFT reluctantly agreed to the 9pm start time, following negotiations, but still maintained that the bar on Little Horton Lane was inappropriate next door to Bradford's top family attraction.

Martin Hubbard, a director of Blue Pelican, had previously told the Telegraph & Argus that it would not be a "seedy" operation and had agreed not to advertise lap dancing outside the bar.

Following the go-ahead, the club will now have to follow regulations including restricted drinking hours from 7pm to 4am, Monday to Saturday, and 7pm to 2am on Sunday; rebuttal of proposals for private cubicles and private areas; entertainment including lap dancing, striptease and pole dancing to start at 9pm to 4am Monday to Saturday and 9pm to 2am on Sunday.

The draft settlement said the reason for the entertainment times was: "In order to ensure that entertainment of an adult and sexual nature is not conducted on the premises during times when large numbers of children may be in the vicinity using the facilities of the nearby NMFPT or the Bradford Ice Rink - protection of children from harm."

Other conditions state that existing CCTV equipment should be in good working order and recordings should be retained for 30 days and handed to the police on request.

It also ruled that at least two security staff should be on the door and that licensees co-operate with any pubwatch or similar initiative.

No-one from the Blue Pelican was available to comment on the decision.

e-mail: nishika.patel@bradford.newsquest.co.uk