Bethnal Green pizza takeaway 'in a bad situation' is allowed to deliver food until 3am every day
A takeaway pizza shop in Tower Hamlets that has been struggling to compete with other places in the area has been allowed to deliver food until 3am every day in a bid to improve business. Family-run Perfetto Pizza in Bethnal Green was granted the changes by Tower Hamlets Council's licensing sub-committee last week (September 19) - the decision being made public this week - with the exception that after 1am the venue must not use petrol-powered motorbikes or mopeds to minimise noise.
Perfetto Pizza had originally wanted to serve late night refreshment every day until 5am but this was reduced to 3am, and between 1am to 3am every day it will be a delivery service only after talks with the Met Police. Last year, Perfetto Pizza was allowed to extend its licensing hours and open until 1am from Thursday through to Sunday, with the owners explaining at the time that they relied on late hours to survive.
During a meeting with the licensing sub-committee last week, Perfetto Pizza said the previous decision was not enough to sustain the business, hence why it was appealing for longer hours again. Qari Azimi from Perfetto Pizza said: "We're in a really bad situation, there is no business and there is too much competition because we don't have a late night licence.
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"...There is no business in the day time, there is too much competition everywhere and I don't have a [late night] licence, because of the [current] licence we cannot make any business." He went on to say that there were no complaints from neighbours or customers however, a senior licensing officer said there was a complaint in October 2023 about the premises allegedly trading past its licensed hours.
Licensing officer, Mohshin Ali, told the chamber that when his team did visit the premises a few weeks later it turned out to be closed and no further action was taken. Mr Azimi later dismissed the complaint and said it was 'false'.
Mr Ali said the licensing authority objected to the plans because he said Perfetto Pizza had made no reference to being located within the Bethnal Green Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ) which is designed to limit antisocial behaviour in areas where it's already a problem. He added: "You haven't heard anything about the licensing objectives being promoted or how they will not have a negative impact, you've just heard about business competition and the need for later hours which are not under the licensing objectives.
"The licensing authority does not support the application however should members be minded to grant the application, we suggest lesser hours are granted to the ones they are seeking." Nicola Cadzow, an environmental health officer also raised concerns over the application.
Ms Cadzow said: "There's been no conditions applied on the application and as Mr Ali has mentioned there's no mention that the premises is in the CIZ and how they're not going to negatively impact with delivery vehicles for deliveries between 1am and 3am in the morning."
Mr Azimi's cousin said: "We understand it's in a CIZ however we've put measures in place, we use our own drivers and we don't use third party delivery drivers. It's a small, family-run business, we don't use loud music, no music at all."
A short while after the premises answered questions from councillors, the committee moved onto another application and made their decision in private after the meeting had ended. According to a decision that was published this week, the committee granted the licence and added its own conditions, including it be a delivery service between 1am and 3am. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has contacted Perfetto Pizza for further comment.
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