Bubbles massage parlour told to close after rules broken

But the operators of Bubbles Club, in Bearwood, have tabled plans through Sandwell Council to allow it to run legally.

Sandwell Council served the business with an enforcement notice after claims it was being operated without planning permission.

The premises is notorious as the site of a brothel called Cuddles, in Hagley Road, which was raided by police in 2005.

Residents and ward councillors have vowed concerns about Bubbles Club last November which they say had been empty for some time.

Councillor Steve Eling said residents were concerned that it had been operating as a private massage parlour without planning permission.

On the club Facebook page, Bubbles calls itself a 'private massage club'.

Sandwell Council said the address has had planning permission to operate as a health and beauty salon since 1982.

Planning enforcement officers inspected the premises and confirmed that a 'change of use' had taken place.

Council officers used a 'temporary stop notice' in December before issuing an enforcement notice to stop an 'unauthorised use' on February 2.

The operators do have the chance to appeal the decision by the same date.

But on January 7 the club submitted a 'retrospective application for the continued use of the premises as a private massage parlour/relaxation retreat.

In a supporting letter, planning agent Terry Poultney, acting on behalf of Bubbles Club, said: "Claims that the use has caused serious harm to nearby residents are totally unfounded and without any supporting factual evidence.

"The premises sit on the Hagley Road which is a main arterial road in and out of Birmingham and has a high volume of traffic 24 hours a day.

"In the same parade are several restaurants and hot food takeaways all of which operate late hours and a garage which has almost 24 hours use."

He added: "The application premises will have CCTV installation and the entrance controlled by SIA trained door personnel which will nullify the risk of criminal activity."

Abbey ward councillor Steve Eling said: "People are not keen on what they perceive to be going on at this club. It is not the sort of business they want here."

Sandwell Council's planning committee chairman, Councillor Steven Frear, confirmed the premises had been visited and an enforcement notice served ahead of the retrospective planning application submitted this month.

"The enquiry came in November 2014 from residents and local councillors about the premises, after being empty for some time, had started being used as private massage parlour without planning permission," he said.

"Planning enforcement and planning officers have inspected the premises and confirmed a material change of use of the property had taken place without planning permission."

A decision over the planning application for Bubbles Club will be taken in the coming weeks.

Police raided the former Cuddles site in September 2005 with a special task force of female officers used to carry out the search.

Officers found 19 foreign women employed as sex workers.