A Newington Green café has been granted an alcohol licence, despite concerns from a local resident about potential noise disturbances. The applicant described Lot 103 as a daytime café that welcomes families and kids, serving breakfast, brunch, homemade cookies, and cakes. They also hope to serve wine and nibbles until later.
The Islington Licensing Sub Committee B approved the application for Lot 103, located at 103 Newington Green Road, N1 4QY, on Tuesday 16 September 2025. The decision allows the café to sell alcohol on and off the premises from 11:00 to 23:00, Monday to Sunday, and to open from 08:00 to 23:30.
According to the minutes from the meeting held on 8 May 2025, a resident voiced concerns that the neighbouring premises, Stella's, had become a noisy night spot, disturbing the approximately 200 households on the road, which includes social housing and residents with mental health issues and physical disabilities. The resident feared that granting another licence would exacerbate the noise problem, stating that if another premises were to be given a licence the noise would get worse
. They also expressed concern that young people frequenting Stella's, which they described as a night spot for young people
that is very disturbing for residents,
might also patronise the new café, and that noise booms up the street
and people congregate at the bus stop.
The applicant, however, assured the committee that the café primarily operates during the daytime, with intentions to open until approximately 8pm, although they had applied for a licence until 11pm to accommodate occasional late supper clubs. The applicant, who will be living above the premises with her three children, stated that she was mindful of creating a nice environment for neighbours
and had previously run a café in Copenhagen without issues. She also provided her contact details to neighbours.
The applicant stated that the space was small with 22 seats outside, and it wasn't anticipated that patrons would stay for a long time. The applicant also explained that there was a large window to the outside and 8-10 members of staff on rota, an alarm and CCTV that meant all areas were visible.
To further address noise concerns, a committee member highlighted the importance of a dispersal policy and marking the area to ensure the outside could be properly managed.
The applicant described the café as serving a simple menu from 8am to 3.30pm, with cakes offered after 3.30pm, along with wine and nibbles. There are 22 seats outside. She stated that the premises would not use delivery platforms and there would be no vertical drinking. The café currently employs 8-10 staff.
The Sub-Committee concluded that granting the licence with the agreed conditions would promote the licensing objectives. The Sub-Committee noted that the hours sought were within the hours specified in licensing policy 5 and 6. The Sub-Committee was satisfied that the operating schedule demonstrated high standards of management and that the proposed use, with the extensive conditions agreed, meant that the premises would not add to the cumulative impact. The Sub-Committee agreed to conditions detailed on pages 32 to 35 of the agenda, which are also listed in the Public reports pack here starting on page 36, under the heading Suggested conditions of approval consistent with the operating schedule
. These include conditions related to CCTV, incident logs, staff training, and restrictions on the sale of certain alcoholic beverages.