A decision over whether to allow a sex shop to remain open to the public has been delayed.

Dave Powley and Danny Miller, owners of Eva Amour in Barmouth, applied for a licence for the High Street shop in February 2020. Twelve months on, they are still waiting for a decision.

The delay is believed to have been caused because the council did not have the legislation in place to assess the application. This has now been addressed, but an application hearing scheduled for Wednesday (2 February) was postponed, following complaints by Mr Powley and Mr Miller.

“The council wanted to use out-of-date evidence gathered last year, before the shop opened,” Mr Powley said.

“The whole consultation process should be run again from the start for fairness and openness, to allow people to have their say. The council is gagging the residents of Barmouth.”

The initial consultation attracted a number of objections.

“The community was, quite rightly, concerned about what we might be like, but one year later we are open and we have had nothing but support,” Mr Powley said.

“People say they love what we’ve done and that it’s tasteful.”

The married owners have spent £30,000 refurbishing the old butcher’s shop, and believe the council should hold another consultation to see if opinions have changed. But even if the council refuse and reject the application based on last year’s objections, Eva Amour will remain in Barmouth.

“We have an online business operating from here and it will continue to do so regardless,” said Mr Powley.

“The window display and the products will still be there, but we would have to operate as a warehouse only, rather than as a warehouse and a shop, as we are now. They are essentially just deciding on whether the door will be locked to the public or not.”

The shop opened in November and Mr Powley says the business has been well supported.

“People love it, and most of our customers have been locals who have nothing but praise for how the shop looks.

“We want a licence, we always have, because it gives us all the checks and balances that I think we all wanted. Sex shop licenses are granted for a year, and Gwynedd Council want to judge what should be this year’s application on submissions made almost a year ago.

“We don’t see us getting those objections again because the mood has changed, but the council don’t seem to be willing to judge the situation in the light of that. If we are not successful a shop closes and those that would have travelled and spent money with us, and other businesses while they are here, won’t come.”

The owners have set up a petition in support of their application. It has 237 signatures so far.

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “Following comments submitted by the applicant, the Council’s General Licensing Sub-Committee hearing regarding this application has been delayed for the time being.”

The petition can be found at www.ipetitions.com/petition/EvaAmour.