A licence application for a sex shop has been recommended for refusal.

The application for a sex shop licence has been made for Eva Amour in Barmouth.

The council committee will hear the application this afternoon.

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that, following a statutory public consultation process, an application for a sex shop licence for a premises at 6 St Anne’s Square, Barmouth is due to be considered by the council’s General Licensing Sub-Committee on 10 March.

“Having considered all the relevant regulations, policies and representations made regarding the application, it is recommended that the committee refuse the application on the grounds that it is not in keeping with the character of the relevant locality and that the location of the premises is in close proximity to premises frequented by children and vulnerable adults. A decision on the application will be made by members of the General Licensing Sub-Committee at this week’s meeting.”

David Powley and Danny Miller are directors of DD Trading, the company behind the planning application for the shop.

They asked for an earlier application hearing to be delayed to give the people of the town a chance to have their say on it.

Mr Powley and Mr Miller applied for a licence in February 2020. Initially, Gwynedd Council delayed the application because it did not have the legislation in place to assess it. 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“The council wanted to use out-of-date evidence gathered last year, before the shop opened,” Mr Powley said.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 several 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 hearing takes place at 2pm.