A planned late-night event at Drip, located at 27 Clerkenwell Road, faces potential disruption due to noise complaints, according to documents presented at a Licensing Sub Committee A meeting on Wednesday 9 July 2025. If the bar opens without planning permission, it would be a breach of planning control.
The Islington Council's Licensing Sub Committee A convened to discuss a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) submitted by Reneta Dragneva for an event at Drip on 18 July. The application requested permission for the sale of alcohol, regulated entertainment, and late-night refreshment from 18:30 to 04:00, with a maximum capacity of 80 people.
However, the application has met with resistance from the Neighbourhood Engagement team due to prior noise issues at the premises. According to the Public reports pack for the meeting, a number of noise complaints have been lodged with Islington's ASB Team since the current premises licence holder, SEO Joint LTD, took over in October 2023.
The premises was served with a section 80 notice under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 on 7 June 2024, and breaches of this notice were witnessed on 18 May 2025 and 7 June 2025. These breaches resulted in Fixed Penalty Notices being served on the premises licence holder.
Fanos Santis, Senior Environmental Health Officer, voiced the Neighbourhood Engagement team's objection in an email included in the report pack, citing the breaches of the section 80 notice. He stated that the Neighbourhood Engagement team objects to the TEN application because of the breaches of the section 80 notice. He noted that the premises was served with a section 80, EPA 1990, notice on 7 June 2024, and breaches of the notice were witnessed on 18 May 2025 and 7 June 2025, resulting in Fixed Penalty Notices being served on the premises licence holder.
Further complicating matters, the report pack noted that while the ground floor and basement unit has a long-established use as a coffee shop (Class E), the proposed use as a bar would require a change of use application. Authorities have no record of a corresponding application for this proposed change of use.
The Licensing Sub Committee A, including Councillor Heather Staff (Chair of Licensing Committee and Migrants Champion), Councillor Gary Heather, Councillor Rosaline Ogunro (Deputy Mayor), Councillor Clare Jeapes (Recycling Champion), and Councillor Nick Wayne (Chair of Corporate Resources and Economy Scrutiny Committee), will determine the fate of the TEN. According to the Agenda for the Licensing Sub Committee A, the committee has the option to allow the TEN, allow it with conditions, or prohibit it.
The Public reports pack outlines the possible outcomes, stating that the committee can decide to:
i. allow the TEN for the specified event; ii. allow the TEN, subject to one or more conditions of the existing premises licence; or iii. prohibit the TEN by way of a counter notice.
The Licensing Sub-Committee could allow the TEN subject to one or more conditions of the existing premises licence.