The Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee of Waltham Forest Council met on Tuesday 29 April 2025 and decided to revoke the premises licence for E11 Coffee Lounge. This decision followed a review of the licence based on concerns regarding the prevention of crime and disorder.

Review of E11 Coffee Lounge Premises Licence

The Sub-Committee, chaired by Councillor Sally Littlejohn and including Councillors Raja Anwar and Richard Sweden, convened to consider an application to review the premises licence for E11 Coffee Lounge, located at 34 Church Lane, Leytonstone, London, E11 1HG. The review was initiated by the Home Office Immigration Enforcement team, citing breaches of the licensing objective related to the prevention of crime and disorder due to identified illegal working at the premises.

During the consultation period, representations supporting the review were received from three responsible authorities: the Metropolitan Police, the Council's Premises Licensing team, and the Council's Food and Safety team. These representations also focused on the prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of public safety.

The hearing involved oral representations from various parties, including Mr. Suraj Prashar from Home Office Immigration Enforcement, PC Anthony Ellice and PC Kerry-Ann Tilley from the Metropolitan Police, Mr. Marc Witham (Service Manager for LBWF Food and Safety Team), Mr. Sherman Xavier and Mr. Darren Reilly (LBWF Premises Licensing Team), Mr. Gary Grant (Barrister representing the Premises Licence Holder), and Mr. Halit Matraxhi (Premises Licence Holder).

Following the presentations, the Sub-Committee adjourned to deliberate and reconvened on Wednesday 30 April 2025, where they determined to revoke the premises licence.

The Sub-Committee's decision was based on several key points:

• Illegal Working: Evidence was presented by Mr. Suraj Prashar that on 8 January 2025, officers encountered four individuals working illegally at the premises. These individuals were arrested. The Sub-Committee noted that, in accordance with paragraph 11.28 of the Home Office guidance, revocation should be seriously considered in such cases.
• Smoking Violations and Aggressive Behaviour: PC Anthony Ellice reported that during a visit on 8 January 2025, smoking was observed on the premises. A subsequent visit revealed aggressive behaviour and the use of offensive language by the manager, Mr. Ervis Spahui.
• Persistent Smoking Issues: Mr. Marc Witham from the Food and Safety Team detailed a history of warnings issued to Church Lane Enterprises Ltd, its director Mr. Matraxhi, and E11 Café Ltd, and its director Mr. Meriman Spahiu, regarding smoking in enclosed areas. E11 Cafe Ltd and Mr. Meriman Spahiu were found guilty in August 2022 for failing to prevent smoking. Further warnings were issued in 2023. Mr. Witham expressed reservations about the Premises Licence Holder's (PLH) ability to promote licensing objectives, noting that smoking had been an issue since 2020 with no improvement.
• Obstruction and Hostile Behaviour: Mr. Sherman Xavier from the Premises Licensing team recounted an incident on 20 December 2024, where Mr. Ervis Spahiu displayed hostile behaviour and prevented officers from entering the premises to investigate complaints of indoor smoking and fireworks. Officers also witnessed smoking inside the premises during the multi-agency visit on 8 January 2025.
• PLH's Understanding of Responsibilities: The Sub-Committee expressed concern that Mr. Halit Matraxhi, the PLH, did not fully understand his responsibilities. Despite the PLH's claims of having a management agreement and appointing a new Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS), the Sub-Committee was not reassured about future management and felt the proposed conditions were insufficient to uphold the licensing objectives. They noted that Mr. Matraxhi's client, Church Lane Enterprises Ltd, had Mr. Festim Spahiu as a co-director.

The Sub-Committee gave significant weight to the evidence from the responsible authorities, who requested the licence revocation. They concluded that a continuation of the licence would undermine the licensing objectives, particularly the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety. Therefore, revocation was deemed the only appropriate and proportionate outcome. The Sub-Committee also referenced paragraphs 2.2 and 11.27 of the Home Office guidance, which highlight the seriousness of employing individuals with no right to work and the expectation for revocation to be considered in such circumstances.

The meeting was attended by Councillor Sally Littlejohn (Chair), Councillor Raja Anwar, Councillor Richard Sweden, Chris Foxton (Democratic Services Officer), Donya Kalantari (Committee Lawyer), and Fareeha Malik (Licensing Officer). The meeting concluded at 12:40 pm.