A new cafe has been granted a late-night licence to operate until 5am daily, despite significant concerns from residents and authorities about potential noise and public nuisance.
Corgi UK Café Limited, located at 74 Great Eastern Street, London EC2A 3JL, received approval from Hackney's Licensing Sub Committee A on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, for its application for a premises licence for late-night refreshment. The decision was made after careful consideration of representations from residents, the police, and Environmental Health, alongside the applicant's proposed mitigation strategies.
Residents living in the vicinity raised objections, citing ongoing issues with noise, litter, and anti-social behaviour. They expressed fears that the cafe's extended hours, particularly between 11pm and 5am, would exacerbate existing problems and impact their quality of life. One resident stated, We have consistently had to endure the consequences of businesses that operate very late in the neighbourhood. It's deeply concerning to think that there can now be any legitimate basis claimed for a cafe to be operating throughout the entire night.
The Metropolitan Police also submitted representations, highlighting that the premises is located within the Shoreditch Special Policy Area (SPA), an area already heavily impacted by the night-time economy. The police were concerned that the requested hours would attract and retain customers in the area long after other venues have closed, contributing to cumulative pressures and potentially increasing crime and disorder.
Environmental Health also raised concerns about public nuisance, noting historical complaints regarding noise, litter, and waste accumulation in the area. They pointed out that the proposed hours were outside the council's core hours policy and that the applicant had not adequately demonstrated how these concerns would be mitigated. The council's 'core hours policy' for late-night refreshment is outlined in LP3 of the Statement of Licensing Policy. Generally, hours for licensable activity are authorised as follows: Monday to Thursday 08:00 to 23:00, Friday and Saturday 08:00 to 00:00, and Sunday 10:00 to 22:30. Later hours may be considered where an applicant has identified any risk that may undermine the promotion of the licensing objectives and has put in place robust measures to mitigate those risks. The policy also notes that it does not apply to applications within a special policy area unless the applicant can demonstrate that the proposed activity will not add to the cumulative impact already being experienced.
However, Corgi UK Café Limited proposed a range of conditions to address these issues. These included the installation of CCTV, the employment of licensed security during peak late-night periods, keypad locks on toilets, and a direct contact line for neighbours. The applicant emphasised that the cafe would operate as a quiet coffee and work space, selling no alcohol and playing no amplified music. To maintain this environment between 11pm and 5am, the cafe intends to have licensed security during peak late-night periods, keypad locks on toilets, and a direct contact line for neighbours. Customers collecting takeaway coffee will be expected to come inside or move on, and staff will monitor the frontage and ask anyone leaving to do so quietly. The applicant also stated that their overnight customers are primarily people working inside on laptops or collecting a takeaway coffee, and that the food offer is limited to simple baked goods and pastries.
In approving the application, the committee noted the applicant's proposed measures and conditions, deeming them sufficient to promote the licensing objectives. The Licensing Sub Committee A considered the applicant's proposed measures, which included the installation of CCTV, the employment of licensed security during peak late-night periods, keypad locks on toilets, and a direct contact line for neighbours. Representations were received from Environmental Health and the Police on the grounds of prevention of public nuisance, crime and disorder, and local residents also submitted objections on the grounds of public nuisance, citing ongoing issues with noise, litter, and anti-social behaviour in the area. Concerns were also raised about the premises operating outside of its established planning permission hours.
The applicant proposed a direct contact line for neighbours, stating, We'd be very happy to provide you with a direct telephone/WhatsApp contact for the café so that, if something does happen, the manager or security team can look into it immediately and resolve it as quickly as possible. Our aim is to make sure you never feel like you have to wait until the next day or go through a formal process just to get our attention.
However, specific defined response times and escalation procedures for this direct contact line were not detailed in the provided information.
Further details regarding the meeting and the decision can be found in the Public reports pack and the Decisions document.
