Enfield Council’s planning enforcement team has taken action after deciding that +355 had primarily become a drinking establishment, reports Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporter

A café in Winchmore Hill has been ordered by Enfield Council to submit a retrospective application to operate as a bar.

The decision was made by the council’s planning enforcement team, which visited +355 Coffee Bar and Lounge at 738 Green Lanes and established the premises’ primary use was a drinking establishment “as opposed to a café”.

Since this falls within a different use class for the property, the owner has been instructed to submit an application in order to “regularise” the change of use.

The café has been subject to local criticism, with objections being heard during a licensing sub-committee meeting in June. After hearing evidence, councillors decided to grant the café’s application for a premises licence to be able to serve alcohol.

This was despite concerns being raised over the hours of operation when it would be serving alcohol, customers loitering on the pavement, and alleged unlicensed activity.

However, the applicant’s licensing consultant Noel Samaroo said during the hearing that complaints were “extremely vexatious” and were prejudicial on account of the applicant being from an ethnic minority.

In response to enquiries over the café being required to change its use class, the council has emphasised this was a “matter for the planning process” and that customer behaviour was not a “material planning consideration”.

The council added it could not comment on the business’s future until the “appropriate process” had been undertaken.

Karen Page, head of planning and building control, has said that if and when an application is submitted “neighbours will be notified and given the opportunity to comment”.

A council spokesperson added: “The owner will retrospectively have to submit an application for the correct use of the premises. If this is not received, a decision will be made on further action.

“We certainly cannot confirm that the use of the premises will be required to cease for planning reasons until we’ve been through the appropriate process.

“The behaviour of patrons is not a matter for the planning process. This would be dealt with through other legislation.”

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