Plans to extend a cafe’s opening hours have met with fears from neighbours over loud music and people loitering in the streets

The owner of La Taberna Del Paisa in Tottenham, Pablo Tobon-Pineda, wants to extend the restaurant’s opening times so that customers – who often work long hours – have more time to eat and drink on the premises.

Mr Pineda told Haringey’s licensing committee he struggles to make money, as many customers – who work in industries such as cleaning – do not arrive home until late in the evening.

But a landlord who owns a property opposite the venue said his tenants were already struggling to sleep due to loud music and other disturbances.

Speaking at the licensing committee meeting last night (Thursday, July 12), he said: “Many of my tenants leave for work early in the morning and go to bed at 9pm or 10pm and are disturbed on average about once a week by the noise emanating from the premises.

“This is a residential area, and there are probably a dozen or more flats that are affected by this café. If this extension is allowed, my tenants will suffer far worse disturbances. That means I will lose my tenants.”

The landlord added that the sound of patrons gathering in the street after closing time and urinating on gates to the property also caused problems.

A statement from a metropolitan police officer said the area suffered from crime and anti-social behaviour, including street drinking.

The police recommended extending the café’s opening hours to 11.30pm Sunday to Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday.

But the venue’s owner said he had installed smaller speakers and did not intend to play music after 10.30pm.

Mr Tobon-Pineda’s original plans were to change the closing time from 10.30pm every day to midnight on weekdays and 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.

But as the meeting went on, he said he would be happy to settle for an extra hour on Friday and Saturday.

Committee chairman Cllr Luke Cawley-Harrison suggested Mr Tobon-Pineda apply for a temporary events licence to allow occasional late opening.

He said he would like to see the business run well, with no problems reported when it was allowed to open late, before looking at more far-reaching changes.

Mr Tobon-Pineda said that while complaints had been made in the past, he was keen to move forward and was committed to ensuring residents did not suffer any further disturbances.

The licensing committee will notify the applicants of their decision within five working days.

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