People living on Mayes Road say they’re exhausted by the noise from loud music and voices outside the premises, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents living next to a “loud” bar and restaurant in Wood Green are opposing its plans for later operating hours amid a row over noise.

Smoky Lounge in Mayes Road, a restaurant and shisha bar, which also hosts events and live entertainment, has applied to Haringey Council to open for longer.

However, people living on the same road have reported being exhausted by the noise from loud music and voices outside the premises, which has an outdoor seating area on the ground floor, as well as a roof area.

Currently the premises open from 4pm-12am, Monday to Friday, and 2pm-1am at the weekend.

Bianka Mali, the co-owner and designated premises supervisor (DPS), has now applied to open the restaurant from 8am-12.30am from Sunday to Wednesday, from 8am-1am on Thursday, and from 8am-1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.

If approved, alcohol sales would begin from 10am and cease 30 minutes before closing-time each day.

At a licensing sub-committee meeting on Monday (24th) committee member Nick da Costa asked Bianka why the current operating hours were “not suitable”.

Her representative, Robert Sutherland, said while the community needed to be considered in terms of mitigating public nuisances and crime and disorder, the business also needed to be “financially viable” and ensure it could “sustain itself”.

Both the local authority and Metropolitan Police made objections to the application. The council has requested an earlier closing time of 10.30pm for the roof area, deemed to be a noise problem, however the applicant pushed for 12am.

Sergeant Monika Malecka said the police needed further assurance the licensing objectives would be adhered to. She said if a zero drugs tolerance policy was submitted, the police “would be content the DPS is upholding the licensing objectives”.

The police sergeant said relevant checks were made at the premises but the only crimes found related to drug incidents on neighbouring roads. Overall, Sgt Malecka clarified there wasn’t any “substantial concern” in relation to the premises.

However, tensions rose at the hearing as neighbouring residents described years of “nonsense” from the establishment and stated they did not consent to an extension of hours “under any circumstances”.

Neighbouring resident Bryan Barnes said: “So many people from the community are in this room right now, and not one of them wants to see them [Smoky Lounge] have an extended licence; the circumstances don’t warrant it.

“There’s noise coming from the shisha area every other day, we call the council’s noise team and the majority of times, when they come, they’ve missed it or said it’s not loud enough.

“We live in the area, it’s loud, I’ve heard it from my property.”

Another neighbour, Sheith Subrattee, said: “We don’t make complaints just for the sake of complaining, they’re valid complaints. That area, where the shisha bar [the roof area] is a problem area and they haven’t done anything about it.”

Defending her business, Bianka said staff had made attempts to engage with the community, sending letters inviting neighbours to visit the restaurant and knocking on doors. Apart from Bryan, no other resident said they’d received such a communication.

Another resident, Robert Bayley, who has lived on the road for 26 years, said he was “very dubious” about the restaurant’s attempts to engage.

But Bianka said herself and her husband had placed “all of their life savings” into the business and had signed a “20-year lease” to show their commitment.

As well as fitting CCTV cameras, she added the pair had renovated the kitchen area and redecorated the restaurant’s interiors, insisting they were not there to “make trouble”.

The committee will announce its decision in regards to the application in five working days.

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