Nebula Lounge in Chadwell Heath was being used for smoking shisha despite not having planning permission
A Chadwell Heath business and its directors have been prosecuted after operating as a shisha lounge without permission.
In September 2023, Barking and Dagenham Council received information that Nebula Lounge, operating at 218 High Road 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 18th May 2024 and 31th October 2025, making it a continuing offence.
The company behind the business, Smokescreen Ltd (trading as 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.
Syed Ghani, the council’s 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.
