Pavement Licence

The Council has adopted a Pavement Café Licence Policy to help promote vibrant and diverse areas of the town for people to enjoy.

Many businesses have had to cease trading for several months, and others have had to significantly modify their operations. The Business and Planning Act 2020 introduces a number of urgent measures to help businesses selling food and drink to recover and to temporarily ease some of the legislative requirements in relation to planning and licensing. Social distancing guidelines remain in place.

The measures are designed to support businesses selling food and drink such as cafes, pubs and restaurants by introducing a temporary fast-track process for these businesses to obtain permission, in the form of a “pavement licence” for the placement of furniture such as tables and chairs on the public highway outside their premises. Permission is not required for private land not on the highway.

To support local businesses, and in line with the Government position, the Council has introduced a temporary pavement café procedure. This will help businesses to use outdoor space, which forms part of the public highway, provided that the area is available and suitable for them to do so.

View the full policy: Temporary Fast-Track Pavement Café Policy and Procedure (PDF Document, 1.07 Mb)

Apply for a licence