A lap dancing club has been given the go-ahead despite public protests.

Plans announced last year to open the Red Velvet club above a chip shop in Front Street, Consett, County Durham, provoked a storm of outrage - with more than 1,000 people signing a protest petition organised by the town's churches.

But after a four-hour hearing yesterday, members of Derwentside District Council's alcohol and entertainment licensing sub-committee granted the club a license.

Sukhdev "Sonny" Gill, the 21-year-old businessman behind the plan, said: "I am very happy with the decision made.

"Consett is a town which needs to become self-sufficient and it needs people to be entrepreneurial.

"Without people like me, the future for this town is very weak."

Mr Gill told the hearing that the club would vigorously enforce age restrictions and would have no insensitive advertising outside the premises.

But during yesterday's highly-charged meeting at the council chambers in Consett, objectors argued that the club, which will be open until 2am and will feature topless dancers, was demeaning to women, could lead to members of the public being harassed in the street and could increase the incidence of sexual assault in the town.

The Reverend Stephen Dallin, superintendent Methodist Minister for Derwentside, said that he feared the opening of the club could lead to further incidents similar to the brutal rape of a young woman in Blackhill Park, in November 2005.

He said: "If the club goes ahead, I believe we will have more incidents like this in Consett and the surrounding area."

Mr Dallin said that he feared the club would impact on children attending young people's groups at the nearby Methodist Church, in Station Road.

He said: "Parents will be worried about their children coming to the clubs.

"I think they will be reticent about coming out at night, especially if they have to go past this club."

However, the committee of three councillors granted the application after hearing that none of the statutory bodies, including the police, has raised any objections to the club.

They also said that only objections from people living within 200 yards of the club could be considered, which ruled out the majority of those who had signed the petition.

Councillor Alex Watson, the leader of Derwentside District Council who spoke against the plan as ward councillor, said the authority would review its procedures in the wake of the decision.

He said: "I am hugely disappointed given the depth of hostility to the proposal."

Protestors said they were now considering their next course of action. No decision has been made as to when the club will open its doors to the public.