The Licensing Sub-Committee of Barking and Dagenham Council met on Wednesday 26 August 2026 to consider an application to vary the premises licence for Deuce Lounge, located at 20-22 London Road, Barking. The committee granted the variation, allowing for extended hours for recorded music and late-night refreshment, with specific conditions regarding new entries for late-night refreshment.

Deuce Lounge Premises Licence Variation

The primary focus of the meeting was an application by Aya Dele Oshin, the Designated Premises Supervisor for Deuce Lounge, to vary the existing premises licence. The application sought to extend the hours for recorded music, late-night refreshment, and the sale of alcohol, along with proposed non-standard timings.

Representations against the application were received from the Metropolitan Police, a Ward Councillor (Councillor Saima Ashraf), and a local resident. The police representation cited concerns regarding the prevention of crime and disorder and public nuisance, highlighting the premises' location in a residential area and previous complaints about anti-social behaviour. The Ward Councillor echoed these concerns, objecting to increased hours in a residential area due to potential noise and footfall. The resident's representation detailed persistent issues with noise, patron behaviour, and a history of disorder, including a reference to a fatal incident.

Following discussions and negotiations, an agreement was reached between the applicant, the Metropolitan Police, and the licensing authority. This agreement led to the withdrawal of the police's representation. The applicant agreed to amend the proposed hours, limiting the extension to an additional 30 minutes for recorded music and late-night refreshment only. The proposed non-standard timings were also amended to mirror the new standard trading hours.

However, no agreement was reached with the Ward Councillor or the interested party, whose representations remained outstanding.

Decision:

The Sub-Committee decided to grant the variation application with the following outcomes:

• Opening Hours: The proposed opening hours were granted as agreed in conciliation with the police. This means recorded music and late-night refreshment hours were extended by 30 minutes.
• Regulated Entertainment (Music): The request for an extension for recorded music was refused. The committee noted that background music does not require a licence, and the applicant had stated their intention was for background music during the extended hours. The decision stated: you don't need a license for background music.
• Late Night Refreshment: The extended hours for late-night refreshment were granted, but with a restriction on new entries. Specifically, no new patrons would be permitted entry after 3:30 am on Thursdays and Saturdays, and after 1:30 am on Sundays to Wednesdays, if they were solely seeking late-night refreshment. This condition was implemented to mitigate the committee's concerns about attracting new customers during the extended hours, thereby potentially increasing public nuisance. However, the applicant was permitted to allow existing patrons to remain for takeaways and to admit new patrons for reasons other than late-night refreshment, such as if they were meeting friends or were artists attending the venue.

The committee acknowledged the applicant's commitment to managing the premises responsibly and their efforts to improve dispersal. The decision was made to promote the licensing objectives, particularly the prevention of public nuisance and crime and disorder, by addressing the concerns raised by objectors while allowing for a controlled extension of hours. A full written decision was to be provided within five days.