Waltham Forest (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Plans for Walthamstow café Kole Dodaj to serve beer have prompted concerns from residents, sparking debate over licensing, safety and community impact in Waltham Forest.
Kole Dodaj has submitted an operation to Waltham Forest Council to serve alcohol seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Good Day Lounge on Lea Bridge Road.
Two locals formally opposed the idea, despite the aspirants’ claims that they would post signs requesting callers to admire locals, depart gently, and avoid moping.
They wrote to the elected council members who make up the town hall’s licensing subcommittee, requesting that they deny authorization.
Another licensed establishment in the vicinity, according to a resident of Lea Bridge Road, is “unnecessary” because the local demand for alcohol is “already met” by surrounding businesses.
His companion objector said that a now-closed pub further down the busy route had exacerbated the area’s history of antisocial behavior.
He added:
“I already experience issues at this location due to a nearby bus stop, where individuals frequently discard rubbish, including beer cans, into my front garden. In some cases, people have used my boundary wall as a seating area, requiring me to intervene and ask them to leave.”
Applicants and the council decided to restrict alcohol intended for use off-site to “sealed containers only” in an effort to lower the risk. Pint glasses and single-use cups would be excluded.
In their extensive application, they also outlined their intentions to set up a CCTV system, adhere to the Challenge 25 policy, and maintain an event log to document complaints, ejections, refusals, and disturbance.
According to the application, alcohol will only be brought to a person’s address where it is “clear they are a resident” or to a business; it will never be given to a public location like a bus stop or street corner.
It can only be offered with a “substantial” food order, too.
Which ward councillors and licensing committee members will decide the application?
The Licensing Sub-Committee generally consists of three councillors named from the Licensing Committee members. Members serving on the Sub-Committee must take over formal training on licensing procedures.
Councillors with a prejudicial interest or with direct involvement in the ward where the demesne is located may be barred or anticipated to declare interests and withdraw from decision- making on that operation. Ward councillors can make representations but generally do n’t sit on theSub-Committee that determines operations in their ward if there’s a conflict of interest.
The specific ward for Good Day Lounge is Lea Bridge, so empowering commission members assigned to operations pertaining to this area, banning those disaccorded, will decide the operation.
