New restaurant for Brockley*

*With, err, strip club attached.

Last week, the Morning Advertiser - the licensee trade website - reported that A&F Clubs Ltd were planning to capitalise on a recent relaxation of the laws governing lap dance venues and the extension of the East London Line by opening three venues in South East London, with Brockley among them.

Naturally, we wanted to get to the bottom of this story, in the interests of informing the community. So we put in a request for an interview and found them surprisingly forthcoming about their plans.

"For us, Brockley is a no-brainer," said Francis Allan, the co-owner. "The East London Line is going to bring thousands of young men who work in the City in to the area for the first time. There's not much nightlife in the area and our experience [from their existing clubs in North London] shows that there's a big market for gentelmen's clubs in Zone 2 areas, popular with young commuters.

"The guys we cater for work damn hard and they want to be able to come home, crack open a bottle of champagne and enjoy the company of our girls, a short distance from their flats. No offence to Brockley, but delis, quiet pubs and little Thai cafes just don't cut it for them. There'll be table dining, as well as table dancing.

"We're looking at sites on Lewisham Way and Brockley Road, although we're restrained by car parking options. Our customers spend a lot of money on their motors, and they like to use them whenever possible.

"During the day, we'll be catering for a different crowd, by offering very good value buffet-style lunches. Rest assured though, our clubs are upmarket affairs - we operate strict door policies and offer a top-quality experience to our customers."

In Brockley Central's view, if this is what it takes to attract the spending power of wealthy city boys, then it's a price worth paying. Certainly, it's better than yet another bookie and it will improve the area's nightlife.

But what do you think?