The Licensing Sub-Committee of Redbridge Council met on Tuesday 11 August 2026 to consider an application for a new premises licence for Smash, located at 93 Ilford Lane, Ilford. The meeting's agenda also included the procedure for licensing hearings.

Procedure for Licensing Hearings

The committee was scheduled to review the established procedure for conducting licensing hearings. This procedure outlines the steps to be followed, including the presentation of the case by the applicant, responsible authorities, and interested parties, followed by questioning and summing up before the committee makes a private decision.

Application for a New Premises Licence: Smash, 93 Ilford Lane, Ilford, IG1 2RJ

The primary focus of the meeting was the application for a new premises licence for Smash, a fast-food restaurant at 93 Ilford Lane, Ilford. The application sought permission for late-night refreshment activities from 23:00 to 03:30, Monday to Sunday, with the premises open to the public from 06:30 to 03:30 daily. No alcohol would be supplied on the premises.

The report pack indicated that the applicant, Mohsin Patel, represented by Dilek Alagoz of Kaplan Consulting, had proposed a schedule of conditions to promote the licensing objectives. However, the application had attracted objections from several responsible authorities, including the Council's Licensing Enforcement Team, the Community Protection Task Force, and Public Health. These objections were primarily based on concerns that granting the licence could negatively impact the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder and preventing public nuisance.

Additionally, two objections were lodged by interested parties, raising concerns that all four licensing objectives might be negatively affected. The premises is situated within the Ilford Town Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ), a designated area where there is a presumption against granting new licences due to the concentration of existing licensed premises and associated issues. The report pack detailed the council's Statement of Licensing Policy, which outlines the approach to applications within CIZs, generally requiring applicants to demonstrate exceptional circumstances to overcome the presumption of refusal.

The report also highlighted the potential implications of the application under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Equality Act 2010, and confirmed there were no direct financial implications for the council arising from the report's recommendations. The committee was presented with several options for determining the application, including granting, granting with conditions, partially granting, or rejecting the application.

Representations from the Licensing Enforcement Team, Community Protection Team, and Public Health were included in the report pack. The Licensing Enforcement Team expressed concerns about increased anti-social behaviour, noise, litter, crime, and disorder, particularly given the premises' location within the CIZ and the proximity to residential properties. The Community Protection Team echoed these concerns, highlighting issues such as street drinking, loitering, public urination, and littering, and noted the significant number of Fixed Penalty Notices and Anti-Social Behaviour warnings issued in the Ilford Lane area. Public Health raised concerns regarding the health implications of late-night fast food consumption, particularly in relation to obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, especially within a diverse population group already at higher risk. They also noted the potential for increased litter and odours, impacting public health and nuisance.

The report pack also included details on the application process, legal and fairness implications, and financial considerations. The committee was provided with appendices containing the application form, site plans, representations from responsible authorities and interested parties, and a map of the Ilford Town CIZ.