A Barking restaurant has been fined after repeatedly placing tables and chairs on the public highway without the required street trading licence, despite being offered the chance to avoid prosecution by paying a fixed penalty.

My Place Lounge Ltd, trading as My Place, Shisha Bar & Dining at 31 Longbridge Road, Barking, has been fined after failing to obtain a valid street trading licence to place tables and chairs on the pavement outside the premises.

During a routine patrol on 1 July 2025, enforcement officers witnessed the business using the public highway for seating without authorisation. Checks confirmed that the company did not hold a licence under Section 38 of the London Local Authorities Act 1990, which requires businesses to obtain permission before trading or placing furniture on the public highway.

A £150 fixed penalty notice, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days, was issued as a chance to discharge liability, but despite reminders, the business failed to pay. A Notice of Intended Prosecution was then issued on 29 September 2025, and the case proceeded to court.

The company pleaded guilty at Barkingside Magistrates Court on 3 March 2026 and was ordered to pay: 

• £150 fine
• £150 prosecution costs
• £60 victim surcharge

A total of £360, to be paid within 28 days.