The Log Cabin, in Whipps Cross Road, will be able to sell wine and beer between noon and 9pm every day of the week, after a successful application to Waltham Forest Council.
Business owner and applicant Yasin Siddiqi said he “didn’t want to get people drunk”, but instead offer a place where walkers and families could “relax and socialise”.
He said that several customers had historically asked if they sold beers, so there was a clear market.
During a long and heated meeting yesterday on January 23, councillors clashed with Mr Siddiqi over potential downsides.
Deputy council leader Clyde Loakes, appearing in his capacity as a Leytonstone councillor, said litter was a “huge challenge” in the area and the council “must do our damnedest” to reduce the possibilities of future fires.
The land was badly damaged by London’s largest grassfire in 2018, which broke out amid a heatwave.
It took 200 firefighters to extinguish the blaze, and Cllr Loakes said the nearby Whipps Cross Hospital almost had to be evacuated.
Its cause was not determined, but grassfires are often caused by discarded cigarettes, barbecues, and glass and broken bottles, which can magnify the sun.
Mr Siddiqi told the committee he was concerned about the possibility of fires, which had prompted him to stop selling cigarettes and lighters.
The committee – made up two Labour councillors and one Conservative councillor – ultimately granted Mr Siddiqi’s request, but added extra conditions to the licence.
All alcoholic drinks must be served in plastic or paper cups, and no alcoholic cans or bottles can be sold to customers.·
The business will also need to clear up any rubbish around the hut, once during opening hours and once at closing time.
During the meeting, ward councillor Marie Pye had also raised concerns that alcohol sales could exacerbate issues with “gangs of young men fighting”.
She said some people did not “treat the area with respect” and granting the licence would “do nothing to help us with antisocial behaviour problems”.
Mr Siddiqi said the issue lay with delivery services, telling the committee: “With just a few clicks, you can get alcohol delivered straight to you.
“If they are determined to commit antisocial behaviour, they will bring alcohol with them. My licence won’t make things worse.”
He added that there were several shops and pubs selling alcohol nearby, but was told the committee cannot take into account other licenced premises.
Cllr Loakes argued that a new venue selling alcohol would “change the nature” of the area.
He said: “I don’t deny it’s now quite easy to have alcohol delivered wherever you want, whenever you want, but that doesn’t mean we should just open the floodgates.
“Making it easier is not the way to manage risks.”
The small store has been operated by Mr Siddiqi’s family for 16 years, he said, and has been on the same site since the 1980s.
He said he has never had any trouble in his decades of business.
