Hackney Wick pub wants to open later to help it recover from the pandemic – but residents say it’s a ‘nightmare waiting to happen’

A Hackney Wick pub hopes that opening later at weekends will help it recover from the impact of Covid – but residents fear they could be disturbed by noise.

The Tiger on Wick Road has asked if it can stay open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays and 12.30am on Sundays  – an hour later than it currently opens.

The pub, which has space for 150 people, hopes to be able to get more use out of its function room to boost business.

It initially asked to stay open until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays and 1am on Sundays but amended its application.

Landlord Ahmet Menkli took over the pub in March 2020, just before the pandemic.

He told Hackney’s licensing committee: “We don’t want to be a nightclub. We just want to have local customers here.

“Everyone is asking for me for one more drink. I have to say ‘No, we don’t want to lose the licence’.

“[Coronavirus] affects us too much.”

Putting forward the case for the pub, Shaun Murkett said there had never been any noise complaints and most customers at the pub walk home, rather than take public transport.

“We had asked for more hours because we struggled with the pandemic to get a couple of extra hours during the weekend,” he said.

He explained that the pub is “making improvements on security and scaling back hours, given concerns of residents and the police”.

Ward councillor Chris Kennedy said residents were concerned about public nuisance, with customers walking through residential streets to get to Homerton station late at night.

He said staying open later at weekends is likely to cause significant disturbance to local residents.

Police said they were concerned about dispersal and the potential for anti-social behaviour in the early hours.

Resident Jason Lord told the licensing hearing: “It’s a nightmare waiting to happen. Surely 2am on Friday and Saturday nights and have everybody leave is plenty?”

He said: “If you’re trying to sleep and your kids are trying to sleep, disturbance at half past eleven in the evening is preferable to  disturbance at half past two, or God forbid, half past three in the morning.”

The licensing committee will publish its decision in five days.