A Walthamstow café is facing a review of its premises licence following complaints from local residents regarding public nuisance, safety concerns, and alleged breaches of smoke-free regulations.
The Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee is scheduled to convene to discuss the premises licence for Wood Street Café, located at 53 Wood Street, Walthamstow. The review was prompted by an application from the London Borough of Waltham Forest Licensing Team, citing concerns over the prevention of public nuisance, public safety, and the prevention of crime and disorder. The Sub-Committee has the authority to modify the licence conditions, exclude licensable activities, remove the designated premises supervisor, suspend the licence for up to three months, or revoke the licence.
The licensing team's application stated that the review was due to persistent nuisance which is undermining the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, public safety, and the protection of children from harm licensing objectives.
The primary concern revolves around reports of customers smoking in the enclosed outdoor area of the café.
According to the Public Reports Pack provided to the sub-committee, the licensing team had previously taken a stepped approach
to address the issue, including verbal warnings and warning letters to Mr Fatos Tobli, the premises licence holder, and a PACE letter was also sent to Mr Jetmir Dajci, the leaseholder of the property. Despite these measures, the report pack stated that the issues have persisted. The café management claimed to have put the Signs of not smoking and we removed the smoking ashtray and we make the smoking area to feet path where the officer told us is ok to smoke.
However, the Licensing Team states that the café failed to effectively address the issue of smoking in the recessed area, leading to continued complaints and witnessed instances of smoking. The staff reportedly stated on multiple occasions that they were unable to prevent people from smoking.
Several residents submitted representations supporting the review application, raising concerns related to:
- Public Nuisance: Amy Cronin, a local resident, reported that
customers frequently congregate outside, smoking in groups and leaving litter, including takeaway coffee cups, vapes, cigarette butts, and empty water bottles on the pavement and adjoining streets.
- Public Safety and Crime/Disorder: Jordan Gray, a resident of Woodlands Road, stated that
It is a very common sight to see customers walk from the cafe to their cars and drive excessively fast to the top of the road in order to turn around, rev their engines, and speed back down the road as fast as they can.
- Protection of Children from Harm: Residents expressed concerns about children being exposed to second-hand smoke and feeling intimidated by groups of people outside the café.
The Public Reports Pack included a copy of a warning letter sent to Mr Tobli on 8 August 2023, stating that failure to prevent smoking in enclosed areas could result in a review of the premises licence. A response to the PACE letter, sent by Mr Jetmir Dajci, the leaseholder of the property, was also included in Appendix D of the Public Reports Pack.
The licensing team has requested that the sub-committee consider suspending the premises licence for one month to allow staff to be trained to prevent smoking in the recessed front area and to add a condition to the licence regarding ongoing training and record maintenance. The Sub-Committee was asked to consider the application for review and take any steps it considered appropriate to promote the licensing objectives, which could include modifying the licence conditions, excluding a licensable activity, or removing the designated premises supervisor.
If the license is reviewed, the licensing authority may take steps such as modifying the conditions of the license, excluding a licensable activity, removing the designated premises supervisor, suspending the license for up to three months, or revoking the license. The report pack includes a copy of a warning letter that was sent to Mr Fatos Tobli, the premises licence holder, on 8 August 2023, regarding smoking in the licensed premises.
The meeting to review the licence was scheduled for Thursday 30 October 2025, but was POSTPONED.
