A pole dancer has won a planning battle with ‘prudish’ neighbours over her home studio following complaints of ‘grunting and loud noise’.
Samilou Saunders has been running the classes from her garage at her £700,000 bungalow in the affluent suburb of Christchurch, Dorset, since the pandemic.
However, it faced the threat of closure after receiving an influx of complaints from scores of furious neighbours.
Claiming that the controversial business was ‘devastating’ their lives due to parking issues, the disgruntled residents even complained about the sound of ‘grunting and loud music’ when the pole dancing classes were taking place.
Local councillor Margaret Phipps agreed with the opposition – arguing that the business was ‘inappropriate’ for residential neighbours.
But Ms Saunders’ clientele, said to include doctors, accountants, vets, nurses and school teachers, argued that it was ‘generational bias’ from largely elderly residents who did not like the pole dancing nature of the business.
Now, a planning committee at Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has voted to approve a retrospective planning application submitted by Ms Saunders to change the use of the garage from residential to a mixed-use space.
The mother, who submitted the application in January, got the support of seven councillors who voted in favour, while none voted against and two abstained.
Samilou Saunders (pictured) has won a planning battle with ‘prudish’ neighbours over her home studio following neighbour complaints of ‘grunting and loud noise’. The mother has been running the studio from her garage at her £700,000 bungalow in the posh suburb of Christchurch, Dorset, since the pandemic
Ms Saunders’ clientele, said to include doctors, accountants, vets, nurses and school teachers, argued that it was ‘generational bias’ from largely elderly residents who did not like the pole dancing nature of the business
Now, a planning committee at BCP Council has voted to approve a retrospective planning application submitted by Ms Saunders to change the use of the garage. Seven councillors voted in favour, while none voted against and two abstained
But Rita Raynor, who spoke on behalf of the objectors at a planning committee meeting of BCP Council, said most of the letters of support were from people outside the area who did not have to live with it.
Ms Saunders had previously described the studio as a ‘modest and sustainable’ small social enterprise. As the only employee, she insisted that she generally works about 20 hours a week, holding small classes of up to eight people spread across all seven days.
Her planning application lists the studio’s hours as 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 12pm on weekends.
The timetable on her website shows only one or two classes per day during the week, usually around 10am and again at 6 or 7pm.
She also stated that the studio is fitted with air conditioning, meaning windows and doors remain closed during sessions, and that music is not audible from outside. She also noted that music is not played during the classes themselves.
However, neighbours expressed grave concerns that the business hours could mean classes running 66 hours over the week, with 500 people and cars coming and going.
Alan Forage, 83, a retired scientist who lives next door, said: ‘We (the residents) are all reasonably old and at our age we just want peace and quiet in a nice area, a quiet life.
‘In the summer when windows are open you hear grunting and loud music and chatting when the pole dancing classes are on.’
Rita Raynor (pictured), who spoke on behalf of the objectors at a planning committee meeting of BCP Council, said she was ‘disappointed’ with the committee’s outcome, adding that it showed ‘little consideration to the neighbourhood’
Ms Saunders (pictured) had previously described the studio as a ‘modest and sustainable’ small social enterprise. As the only employee, she insisted that she generally works about 20 hours a week, holding small classes of up to eight people spread across all seven days
Neighbour John Thompson wrote: ‘We, the residents, have put up with this intrusion into a totally quiet residential area with a devastating effect on our amenity.
‘We are the people who have experienced the significant disruption from the noise from the pole dancing music and the effect of the parking not only the road but also on our grass verges which we maintain on a regular basis.’
Another couple living nearby said that the pole dancing studio was having an adverse impact on their ‘mental health and wellbeing’.
Meanwhile, councillor Phipps slammed the ‘seven day a week operation’ adding that there was ‘no respite’ for local residents.
She added: ‘These are not what I would call limited hours.
‘This is a full scale commercial business in a residential area. It was granted in good faith as a garage by this council.’
The planning committee agreed to introduce some conditions to protect neighbours’ amenity, with a condition for no amplified music during business use.
The business use will also be restricted to indoor sport and fitness. If the business ceases, the building must then revert back to normal use as a domestic garage.
But Ms Raynor said she was ‘disappointed’ with the committee’s outcome, adding that it showed ‘little consideration to the neighbourhood’.
Pictured: Ms Saunders’ husband, David. Ms Saunders said she had no further comment. However, she previously said that the ongoing complaints had strained her relationship with her neighbours, even leading to her ignoring them in the street
The planning committee agreed to introduce some conditions to protect neighbours’ amenity, with a condition for no amplified music during business use. It came after local councillor Margaret Phipps argued that the business was ‘inappropriate’ for a residential neighbours.
She added: ‘A seven-day a week business, with 66 hours of operation is an excessive situation for neighbours to deal with.
‘We accept that people have to make a living, there’s no personal animosity.
‘We are not against it because it’s pole dancing, if it had been anything else, like a children’s party business, we would feel the same.
‘It’s simply a residential area and we would like to enjoy our properties without a commercial business impacting on that.
‘We would have like some restrictions around classes and number of people, a bit more protection and consideration for us as people.’
Ms Saunders said that she had no further comment. However, she previously shared that the ongoing complaints had strained the relationship with her neighbours, even leading to her ignoring them in the street.
Reflecting on the tiresome neighbour row, she said: ‘This has been going on for nearly two years. It’s been a lot of stress and I’ve been really down about it.
‘Some of the things neighbours said were quite horrible and shocking.
‘I don’t feel like I can wave and smile at people anymore, I feel intimidated. They (objectors) will stand and stare at me when I leave the house.’
