The Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee convened to review the premises licence for E11 Coffee Lounge, located at 34 Church Lane, Leytonstone. Following a hearing and deliberations, the sub-committee decided to revoke the premises licence, citing concerns over the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety.

Review of E11 Coffee Lounge's Premises Licence

The primary focus of the meeting was the review of the premises licence for E11 Coffee Lounge, 34 Church Lane, Leytonstone, E11 1HG, following an application by the Home Office Immigration Enforcement. The application was prompted by concerns that the venue was failing to uphold the licensing objective to prevent crime and disorder, due to instances of illegal working identified at the premises. After hearing from all parties, the Sub-Committee determined to revoke the premises licence.

Fareeha Malik, Licensing Officer, presented a report outlining the background to the review application and the representations received.

Suraj Prashar, an officer from Home Office Immigration Enforcement, stated that during a visit to the premises on 8 January 2025, four individuals were found to be working illegally and were subsequently arrested. Mr Prashar argued that right to work checks should have been conducted, and that, in accordance with the Home Office guidance, revocation of the licence should be seriously considered.

Representations supporting the review application were also received from several responsible authorities, including:

• PC Anthony Ellice and PC Kerry-Ann Tilley, officers from the Metropolitan Police, who reported witnessing smoking on the premises and aggressive behaviour from a manager, Mr Ervis Spahui.
• Mr Marc Witham, Environmental Health Food and Safety Service Manager, who stated that the service had issued several warning letters regarding smoking inside the premises. Mr Witham also noted that during a multiagency visit on 8 January 2025, officers witnessed smoking of cigarettes and shisha in an enclosed area of the premises.
• Mr Sherman Xavier and Mr Darren Reilly, from the Council’s Premises Licensing Team, who stated that during a visit on 20 December 2024, Mr Ervis Spahiu displayed hostile behaviour and prevented officers from entering.

Gary Grant, a barrister representing the Premises Licence Holder (PLH), Mr Halit Matraxhi, argued that his client was not to blame for the issues that had led to the review. He stated that Mr Matraxhi held the licence as a landlord and was not the operator of the business, and that he had taken steps to address the issues, including terminating the management agreement with Mr Meriman Spahiu and applying to transfer the Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) to Mr Alexander Paphiti. Mr Grant also proposed additional conditions to the licence, including a condition regarding right to work checks.

Mr Halit Matraxhi, the PLH, stated that he had used a management agreement because he mainly works in construction. He said he wasn't visiting the venue often and was not made aware of the recent breaches by the previous DPS.

Despite the arguments made by the PLH's representatives, the sub-committee ultimately decided to revoke the premises licence. In its reasoning, the sub-committee noted that there had been issues with smoking at the premises since 2020, and that Mr Meriman Spahiu had been found guilty of failing to prevent smoking in August 2022. The sub-committee also stated that, despite the PLH not being found guilty of the smoking offences or being pursued by the Home Office in respect of the illegal working offences, he should have exercised a more efficient supervisory role.

The sub-committee concluded that it was not reassured that the business would be managed satisfactorily and more responsibly in the future, and that the conditions proposed were not sufficient to uphold the licensing objectives. The sub-committee felt that a continuation of the licence would undermine the licensing objectives, in particular the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety.