A CAFE in a quiet residential neighbourhood has won the right to sell alcohol all day, to the shock of campaigning residents.

Redbridge Council's Licensing Sub-Committee gave Bungalow Cafe, in Spratt Hall Road in Wanstead, the right to serve alcohol six days a week at a hearing today (Friday, July 23) – despite more than 50 furious residents writing letters of objection.

People living in the area, on the south side of Christchurch Green, have objected to the application on the grounds that it would bring noise and disturbance to their area each night, and that the extra customers it would attract would worsen the already chaotic parking situation.

Speakers at the meeting argued that the extra traffic would pose a threat to the safety of children living in the area, and said that a licensed premises was completely inappropriate for the residential character of the neighbourhood.

The council has changed the hours the café can sell alcohol from the original application, which are limited to 10am to 3pm, and from 5pm to 11pm. The original plan was to start serving as early as 7am.

After the decision was announced, Mary Ward, 70, of Greenstone Mews, said: “I think that it is absolutely disgraceful, it's a disgusting decision.

“That's it for us now around here. Where do we go from here? I would love to move out of here because it's got so bad but how am I ever going to find someone to buy my house what that round the corner?

“We've got young children around here, and their safety is in danger with all the cars drive down and park here now. This will only make it worse.

“So much for the council. They've really let us down.”

The owner, Stavros Nicola, did not appear at the hearing, after sending word to members that he was unable to attend because his solicitor would not be able to join him.

However, newly-elected committee chairman Councillor Griffin decided that it would be appropriate to press on without him, in light of the fact that he had sufficient notice of the hearing date.

Mr Nicola had previously told the Guardian and residents that his application would allow him to turn his café into a pizzeria, which residents have dismissed as an excuse to simply begin serving drink throughout the day.

During the meeting, Linda Hopkins, of Spratt Hall Road, said: “We feel that if this licence was granted then the café would become a public nuisance.

“We all know how much further noise travels at night. If someone has a garden party in the evening then you can hear it a long way away but that's okay because those sorts of things are occasional.

“But with this café it would mean people coming out and driving home late at night. And we all know that when we've had a drink or two then we can be a little bit louder, and you've got car doors slamming shut, the noise of radios, and everything else.”