Barking and Dagenham Council has successfully prosecuted a Chadwell Heath business and its directors after they repeatedly ignored a planning enforcement notice and continued to operate as a shisha lounge without permission.
In September 2023, the council’s Planning Authority received information that Nebula Lounge, operating at 218 High Road, Chadwell Heath, was being used as a restaurant and café where customers were smoking shisha. This represented a change of use that required planning permission.
An enforcement notice was issued and later appealed by the owners. The appeal was dismissed, giving the business six months to comply – but the use continued.
Despite repeated warnings, the owners failed to stop operating the venue as a shisha lounge between 18 May 2024 and 31 October 2025, making it a continuing offence.
The company behind the business, Smokescreen Ltd (T/A Nebula Lounge), and its directors Jhangir Hussain, Radwanul Haque Shojib, and Nadir Tarofdar, initially pleaded not guilty at Barkingside Magistrates Court, electing for a Crown Court trial.
Following legal proceedings, the defendants later changed their pleas to guilty.
At Snaresbrook Crown Court, the judge found the breach to be deliberate and persistent, noting that the business continued to advertise itself as a shisha lounge on social media even after formal action had begun.
The court issued a £25,000 fine, along with £4,511.18 in costs, reflecting both the seriousness of the breach and the financial benefit accrued through operating unlawfully.
Councillor Syed Ghani, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “Planning regulations are in place to keep our communities safe and fair. When businesses ignore them, they not only undermine the system but put themselves at risk of significant penalties. This judgement sends a clear message that we will always take robust action against those who choose to breach enforcement notices.”
The council is reminding businesses that they must comply with planning regulations and enforcement notices, and that failure to do so can result in significant penalties.