The fate of a sex shop in Belfast is to be decided in the House of Lords.
The House of Lords has backed Belfast City Council's decision not to grant a licence to a sex shop.
Belfast City Council has consistently refused to give a Gresham Street shop - Miss Behavin' - a licence.
The council had consistently refused to give a licence to Miss Behavin' Ltd on Gresham Street.
The shop owner's appealed this and the Court of Appeal ruled against the council. Its owners would not comment before the Law Lords ruling.
The shop owner's appealed this and the Court of Appeal ruled against the council. However, five law Lords have now overturned this judgement.
Councillor Jim Rodgers said that if the Law Lords also ruled against the council, sex shops could move from back streets to main thoroughfares.
The council objected to explicit DVDs sold by the shop. The case will cost ratepayers thousands of pounds.
Miss Behavin' sells adult costumes and hen party games, but also explicit DVDs, and this is the sort of material the council has been objecting to.
Its owners would not comment before the Law Lords ruling.
"It may be a moral issue, but it's an important one for this city," Mr Rodgers said.
"Sex shops if they get the go-ahead will not be in the back streets - they will be in the main highways and by-ways of Belfast and that is something we do not want."
The cost to ratepayers of the council's stance will run into the tens of thousands, but a concrete figure is not yet available.
