The Licensing Sub-Committee of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea convened to consider a review of the premises licence for Baba Restaurant, located at 212 Fulham Road. The review was initiated by Mr. Paul Tancre, a local resident, citing public nuisance as the primary ground. After hearing evidence and submissions, the committee decided to suspend the licence for a period of three months, with the suspension conditional on the implementation of specific noise abatement measures.

Review of Baba Restaurant Premises Licence

The primary focus of the meeting was a review of the premises licence for Baba Restaurant, 212 Fulham Road, SW10 9PJ. The review was requested by Mr. Paul Tancre, who resides adjacent to the restaurant. The grounds for the review were the prevention of public nuisance, stemming from persistent noise and vibration issues attributed to the restaurant's kitchen extract system and fridge compressor.

Mr. Paul Tancre detailed the history of the nuisance, stating that the issues began with the current operator and have persisted despite numerous complaints and enforcement actions. He highlighted that the licence was granted with specific conditions, including the installation of vibration isolation mounts and an acoustic enclosure by February 2025, which have not been met. Mr. Tancre argued that the council's environmental health department had exhausted its available enforcement tools, necessitating action from the licensing authority.

Mr. Matt McElroy, from the council's noise and nuisance team, provided further evidence of the ongoing issues. He explained that 34 noise complaints, primarily related to plant noise, had been received over 24 months. A noise abatement notice was served on 5 March 2025, and subsequent breaches led to the prosecution of the licensee's company, LALA Limited, resulting in a £3,000 fine on 18 February 2026. Mr. McElroy noted that a further breach was witnessed on 23 February 2026. He detailed the steps taken by the environmental health team, including informal warnings and the service of a noise abatement notice, none of which had resulted in a lasting resolution. Mr. McElroy recommended either suspending the licence until works are undertaken or imposing a condition that the plant be switched off if it causes a nuisance.

Mrs. Ege Cevik, the premises licence holder, presented her case, stating that she acquired the premises on 24 June 2024 and initially focused on trading. She claimed that the air conditioning units were not in use and therefore not the source of the problem, and that she had undertaken cleaning of the kitchen extract system as recommended by an acoustic report. Mrs. Cevik also explained that she had not received the court summons due to a change in her accountant and registered address. She stated that she had ordered vibration mounts and mats, with delivery expected soon, and that these would be installed promptly. She expressed that the cost of some recommended works, such as AC replacement, was prohibitive.

The committee also heard from Mr. Colin Harry of the licensing enforcement team, who outlined several other breaches of the premises licence conditions unrelated to the noise nuisance. These included a failure to submit a dispersal policy, non-operational CCTV, lack of signage, and issues with staff training records and resident meetings. However, the committee noted that these were separate matters from the current review, which was focused on the noise and nuisance issues.

After considering all the evidence, the committee decided to suspend the premises licence for Baba Restaurant for a period of three months. This suspension is conditional upon the satisfactory installation and inspection of noise abatement measures, including anti-vibration mounts and mats, and the effective attenuation of the kitchen extract system. The committee stressed the importance of the licensee finding the necessary funds to carry out the required works and ensuring that all communication addresses are up to date to avoid further administrative issues. The committee indicated that further inspections would be carried out to verify the completion of the works.