A decision on whether to grant a new premises licence for Cafe Lavista, located at 15 Brick Lane, is pending after residents raised concerns about potential noise, anti-social behaviour, and the cumulative impact on the Brick Lane Community Impact Area (CIZ).
The cafe applied for a licence to provide late-night refreshment until 2 am daily, which significantly exceeds the council's framework hours. The council's framework hours for premises in the Brick Lane CIZ are: Monday to Thursday: 06:00 hrs to 23:30 hrs; Friday and Saturday: 06:00 hrs to 00:00 hrs (midnight); and Sunday: 06:00 hrs to 22:30 hrs.
Objectors, including residents and the Licensing Authority, cited worries about increased noise from customers congregating outside, delivery drivers, and general late-night activity, which they fear will negatively impact their quality of life and safety. Residents have reported ongoing problems including people leaving alcohol bottles, dirty clothing and rubbish outside my doorstep,
suspected drug dealing taking place near the property,
and people using drugs, alcohol and antisocial activities. Where peoples have been vomiting on our doorstep after been drunk, human soils and urinating all over the estate.
During the licensing sub-committee meeting on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, the applicant, Mohamed Uddin, stated that the extended hours were sought to help his business, which was operating at a loss, primarily for delivery and takeaway services. He mentioned that he had done some research and market analysis, observing that mostly the desert items... we have seen a lot of deliveries comes after 11.
He also indicated that they would not allow more than one delivery driver at a time to mitigate noise. However, the expected volume of these services was not explicitly quantified.
Mr Uddin assured the committee that measures such as CCTV and staff training would be in place to mitigate potential issues. Beyond these, Cafe Lavista proposed to operate as a café environment with no loud music, display clear signage requesting customers to leave quietly and respect local residents, and not have any outdoor seating. They also proposed to restrict waste collection and deliveries to reasonable daytime hours, have staff monitor the exterior area to prevent loitering and noise disturbance, not serve alcohol, and not provide adult entertainment. The business aims to operate as a family-friendly food business during the day and early evening hours, and staff would be trained in safeguarding awareness, with immediate reporting of any concerns regarding child welfare to management.
However, objectors remained unconvinced. Corinne Holland, a licensing officer, highlighted that the application did not reference the Brick Lane CIZ, and that the onus was on the applicant to demonstrate that their proposal would not add to the existing cumulative impact. Nicola Cadzow, an Environmental Health Officer, echoed these concerns, stating that the applicant had not provided sufficient specific details on how public nuisance and anti-social behaviour would be controlled.
The Brick Lane Community Impact Area (CIZ) was established due to concerns about the cumulative impact of licensed premises on licensing objectives, specifically crime and disorder and public nuisance. The council reviewed evidence including police data, London Ambulance Service call-out data, and complaint data from Environmental Health and Trading Standards linked to the licensed trade between 2020 and 2023. This evidence was used to create hot spot maps and inform the policy.
The typical operating hours of other late-night refreshment venues in the Brick Lane CIZ vary. Some examples include Oodles Chinese (Sunday to Thursday until 00:00, Friday to Saturday until 01:00), Second Granduncle (hours vary, some extending to midnight or later), Postal Address (Best One) (Monday to Thursday until midnight, Friday and Saturday until 01:00), Chez Elles (Monday to Sunday until 23:30), Coffee Shop (Monday to Sunday until 23:30), Cost Price (Sunday to Thursday until midnight, Friday and Saturday until 01:00), Hub by Premier Inn (sale of alcohol and late-night refreshments until 23:30, with 24-hour access for hotel residents), Chaiiwala (Friday and Saturday until 00:00, with extended hours during Ramadan and Eid), Pepe's Piri Piri (Sunday to Thursday until 23:30, Friday to Saturday until 02:00), and Shawarma (Monday to Wednesday until 00:00, Thursday to Saturday until 02:30, Sunday until midnight).
After hearing representations from both sides, the committee deliberated on the application. The final decision on Cafe Lavista was not recorded in the provided transcript.
Further details on the licensing application and the committee's proceedings can be found in the Public reports pack 30th Jun 2026 18.30 Licensing Sub Committee and the Agenda frontsheet 30th Jun 2026 18.30 Licensing Sub Committee.
