A takeaway in Watney Street has been granted a late licence, but will be restricted to takeaway-only sales after midnight, following concerns raised by residents and environmental health officers.
The decision, made by Tower Hamlets' Licensing Sub Committee on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, allows The Original Crispy Cod to serve late-night refreshments until 12:30 am from Sunday to Thursday, and until 2:30 am on Fridays and Saturdays. However, a key condition imposed by the committee is that the premises must operate as a takeaway only between midnight and 2:30 am, with no dine-in customers permitted during these later hours.
This measure aims to address significant concerns regarding potential public nuisance. Environmental Health Officers specifically raised issues about noise breakout, anti-social behaviour, disturbance from customers and deliveries, increased traffic, and sleep disturbance. Nicola Cadzow, an Environmental Health Officer, stated during the hearing that she did not feel sufficient information had been provided on how to prevent public nuisance, and that the application should be refused unless conditions were imposed, such as no public access after 11 pm.
The application had faced objections from residents and responsible authorities, citing fears of increased noise, anti-social behaviour, littering, and disturbance to sleep. Residents living in close proximity to the Watney Street premises highlighted existing issues in the area. One resident, Jibar Alomge, mentioned, underneath, you see a lot of kids, they're parking up their car and playing loud music up to 11 o'clock. That's headache as it is. And going above that time, it's going to be more headache.
Another resident, Mohammed Ishaq Hussain, added, The area surrounding Watney Street is predominantly residential, and residents rely on a reasonable level of peace and quiet, particularly during evening and late-night hours. Granting a premises licence that permits the sale of alcohol and/or late-night refreshment has the potential to create several issues that would negatively affect the amenity of nearby residents.
During the hearing, the applicant's representative, Alomin Mia, argued that allowing customers to dine in until closing would be a better way to manage behaviour inside the premises. However, the committee ultimately opted for the takeaway-only restriction during the final hours of operation to mitigate potential public nuisance. The Original Crispy Cod will implement measures such as staff monitoring the immediate external areas to discourage loitering, shouting or nuisance behaviour.
Additionally, doors will be kept closed during late-night hours, except for access and egress,
and signage will be displayed requesting customers to leave quietly and respect neighbours properties.
Waste disposal and refuse movements will also be restricted to daytime hours.
While the meeting information does not explicitly detail the potential financial implications of this restriction, the applicant, Shueb Uddin, argued that allowing customers to stay inside until closing would be a more effective way to manage behaviour. He stated, Once customers leave the premises, it's much harder for us to influence their behaviour.
Residents will be able to report violations of the new licensing conditions by contacting the manager at the premises, whose direct telephone number will be publicly available at all times the premises is open. The committee has the power to modify or refuse the licence based on breaches.
For more details on the licensing sub-committee meeting, refer to the Public reports pack and the Agenda frontsheet.
