Haringey (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Haringey opposes dessert shop’s 2am license bid, citing noise and antisocial behavior concerns from late-night delivery drivers and patrons.
In order to serve hot cuisine and remain open until two in the morning every day, Baby Cakes on West Green Road sought a late opening license.
The establishment needs permission to offer hot meals after 11 p.m., even though it won’t be selling alcohol. The store, which has been open for less than a year, offers food and soft drinks for delivery and takeout but lacks seats. Atakan Kartal, the proprietor, also owns the 24-hour Atakan Supermarket, which is located next door.
Atakan’s licensing consultant, Oisin Daly, stated during a licensing subcommittee meeting yesterday (Thursday, 24th) that the Haringey dessert shop was requesting a 2am shut because it would “benefit the business.”
Describing the footfall in the area and at Atakan Supermarket, Oisin said:
“If you were to look at Wednesdays, it’s four times as busy at 2am than it is at 3pm. Again, on Saturday nights, it’s far busier at 2am than it is at 9pm. There’s a consistent theme where the area is always busy at those hours.”
Committee member Nick da Costa questioned how the owner would handle noise and deter loitering if the committee decided to approve the proposal.
According to Atakan, his number was available to nearby households, and he addressed complaints as soon as they were brought to his attention.
The dessert shop should install CCTV, instruct delivery drivers not to run their engines while picking up orders, post signs asking patrons to respect the “needs of the local residents,” and maintain the area in front of the store “kept clean,” according to a Metropolitan Police representative.
According to Oisin and Atakan, they accepted every need put out by the police.
Insisting granting the licence would “aggravate a bad situation”, Max said:
“We already have Atakan [Supermarket] right there, right next door to Baby Cakes, and by its nature it attracts people in the middle of the night and sometimes these people are shouting, off their faces.
It doesn’t matter if this new cake shop is going to have signage or CCTV, CCTV does not stop bad behaviour.”
According to Yaseeur Rahman, the licensing officer for the Haringey Council, the council has proposed midnight as a substitute closing time for Sunday through Thursday and 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays only.
Within five working days, the committee will review the application and decide whether to approve or deny it.
What specific measures can residents take to address noise concerns from late-night businesses?
Politely speak or write to the business owner or manager about the noise problem. Many are unaware of the impact and may take voluntary steps to reduce noise if approached constructively.
Request specific changes, such as asking delivery drivers to minimize late-night idling or to be mindful when making deliveries.
Keep a detailed log of noise occurrences, noting the time, duration, and nature of the disturbance.