Yeah, I don't really know what's going on there. Pretty sure it used to be setup singlespeed with that front brake (& no rear brake). Wonder if it's being ridden brakeless (with no foot retention, in hilly Leeds?!).
But if you went to the effort of taking a brake off, why would you leave the lever somewhere you could rip off your undercarriage when (not if) it all goes wrong.
Gotta love that aero brake mount