Licensing committee members in Tower Hamlets have considered new premises applications, including one for The New Blxck Ltd at Unit B, 10 Quaker Street. The application, for a podcast studio with an event space, faced significant objections from the Licensing Authority, Environmental Protection, a local resident, and the residents' association SPIRE.

The exterior of "The New Blxck" premises, a podcast studio and event space, which was subject to a licensing application.
The exterior of The New Blxck premisesSource: Licensing Sub Committee papers, 8 January 2026

The primary concerns revolved around the prevention of crime and disorder, public nuisance, and public safety. These worries are amplified by the premises' location within the Brick Lane Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ) and its close proximity to residential properties.

The CIZ is in place due to the high concentration of licensed premises selling alcohol and providing late-night refreshment, which can lead to exceptional problems of nuisance, disturbance, and disorder. Any new application within this zone, particularly for alcohol sales or late-night refreshment, faces scrutiny to ensure it does not exacerbate the existing cumulative impact. The Licensing Authority stated that where the premises are situated in the CIZ and a representation is received, the licence will be objected to by the Authority. Applicants must demonstrate that their operation will not negatively affect the Licensing Objectives within the Brick Lane CIZ.

Street view of Quaker Street, London, showing commercial properties and residential buildings.
Quaker Street, LondonSource: Licensing Sub Committee papers, 8 January 2026

Specific Objections Raised:

  • Licensing Authority: Expressed concern that the premises might operate similarly to previous tenants who hosted problematic pop-up venues and product launches. The addition of alcohol to such events could lead to increased noise outside, especially as the premises are directly above residential units. While film screenings had previously caused no complaints, the combination of alcohol sales and pop-up events raises significant concerns.
  • Environmental Protection: Worried about noise breakout affecting residents, particularly where there's the sale of alcohol on people in high spirits. Although the applicant mentioned soundproofing, there was no report to confirm its sufficiency, particularly given the residential properties directly overhead.
  • Local Resident (Ms. Begum): Raised concerns about potential noise, late-night disturbances, and safety issues. She feared increased traffic and activity would disrupt her family's peace and security, and worried about potential littering, broken glass, and public disorder, as well as a change in the neighbourhood's character.
  • Residents' Association (SPIRE): Objected to an alcohol license due to the premises being on the ground floor of a residential building and opposite two residential blocks. SPIRE noted that the end of Quaker Street is also an ASB hotspot and that previous temporary event notices (TENs) at the location had generated numerous complaints. They also pointed out that similar event spaces in the area had been granted licenses with very restricted licenses with severe conditions.

Proposed Operations and Hours:

The New Blxck Ltd envisions the event space for small-scale cultural, creative and community activities. These include low-impact events such as book discussions, live recordings, workshops, talks, film screenings, sporting events will take place, as well as private events. The proposed capacity for the premises is a maximum of 50 people, often including staff, meaning approximately 40 attendees.

The proposed operating hours are Monday to Sunday, 09:00 to 23:00, with the sale of alcohol and regulated entertainment scheduled until 22:30. The applicant stressed that the size of the property and the nature of our operations, we only have a limited amount of patrons that we can allow in at one point in time. So it's a very small-scale operation.

Sound Testing and Adjournment:

The applicant stated they had carried out sound testing to confirm that music and conversation within the premises cannot be heard externally or from adjacent properties. However, the specific results and their influence on the committee's decision were not detailed. The committee decided to adjourn the decision to allow for further investigation into soundproofing, including a potential site visit and sound test. I think it's going to be very useful for the committee and obviously for the officers and SPIRE as well to know what the soundproofing issues are because that's a large part of it.

A map showing the Vittoria Wharf Studio, its noise monitoring plan, receptors, and monitor points, overlaid on an aerial view of the surrounding area.
Vittoria Wharf Studio Noise Monitoring PlanSource: Licensing Sub Committee papers, 8 January 2026

The committee will reach a final decision after these further investigations. The applicant proposed conditions including a CCTV system, incident log, and a Challenge 25 policy.

For more details on the proceedings, refer to the Public reports pack.