East London Brewing Company was granted permission to play music indoors and outdoors until midnight on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
A micro-brewery in Walthamstow will be allowed to play music until midnight on certain days, despite local concerns.
Ronnie Finch, the operator of East London Brewing Company, went before Waltham Forest Council’s licensing committee today (16th April).
The venue was granted permission to play music indoors and outdoors until midnight on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays – one hour on from its current licence.
The playing of live or recorded music between 8am and 11pm, for fewer than 500 people, is unregulated and not subject to licensing conditions.
However, Finch said he would stop playing music outdoors at 10pm to minimise disruption for neighbours. He said he made the offer to “help residents understand we’re a responsible operator” and because the business “won’t survive without this licence”.
The brewery sits within the Fairways Business Park, which is part of the Blackhorse Road regeneration area – a zone known for its ‘beer mile’ – and surrounded by homes.
Six objections were lodged against the scheme and four residents attended the meeting in person to speak against it.
They said the primary issue was the “mish-mash” of noise coming from numerous pubs, which came “straight into [their] homes” due to the absence of a buffer.
One resident, who had lived in nearby Lockwood Way for 38 years, said the “reverberating” noise was “incessant” and they could not even make out “music as such”. Others said that, while they live next to a popular drinking destination, they should not be expected to deal with noise issues.
Another resident said the noise from the surrounding pubs was so bad he could hear it over his home cinema, despite watching “loud films”.
Councillor Sally Littlejohn reiterated that the council “had no powers” to regulate music in the daytime and pointed to Finch’s offer to stop playing music outdoors at 10pm.
The committee – comprising three elected councillors – ultimately approved the licence but included a condition requiring the brewery to prominently display contact details in case someone wished to make a complaint.
Residents had criticised the idea during the meeting, arguing the onus should not be on them to complain and the licence should be “proactive, not reactive”.
The committee also made a non-legally binding recommendation that the operators consider installing noise limiters on its speakers.
Finch took over the brewery from Wild Card Brewery in 2024 – thirteen years after it was founded – and has ten years’ experience running pubs across east London, including those in residential areas.
His agent told the committee he wanted to turn the venue into an “iconic, creative destination” that was “recognised as a community asset”. Finch said he would not be offering large-scale events “on the regular”.
It will be taking part in the upcoming Blackhorse Road anniversary event on the May bank holiday weekend.
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