If your business is looking to allow customers to consume food and drink outside of your business premises, you will need to obtain a Pavement Licence.
A Pavement Licence allows the licence holder to put removable furniture on part of a relevant section of the business adjacent to the premises for customers who are eating and/or drinking.
The Business and Planning Act 2020 introduced a number of urgent measures to help businesses selling food and drink to recover after the Pandemic and to temporarily ease some of the legislative requirements in relation to planning and licensing.
One of the key measures this new Act introduced was to allow district councils to develop a fast-track process which allowed them to assess and determine, for the period from now up to September 30, 2024 whether a Pavement Licence can be granted or not.
More details can be found in the guidance accompanying the Business and Planning Act 2020.
All current pavement licences issued under the Business and Planning Act 2020 will expire on or before 30 September 2023.
There is no renewal process for existing licences so a new application will need to be submitted if a pavement licence is required beyond this date.
Terms and conditions for pavement licence applicants
Detailed evidence requirements for pavement licence applicants
List of businesses who have applied for a pavement licence
List of businesses who have been granted a pavement licence
What does this mean for you and your business?
Our aim is to help promote vibrant and diverse areas of our local area for people to enjoy.
To support local businesses selling food and drink such as cafes, pubs and restaurants and in line with the Government position, the Council has adopted and introduced a new procedure 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.
This licence is not applicable for private land not on the highway, you need separate permissions for this.
Pavement licences granted may not be less than three months and may not extend beyond September 30, 2023.
The grant of a pavement licence only permits the placing of furniture on the Highway. Other regulatory frameworks still apply, such as the need for alcohol licences and the need to comply with registration requirements for food businesses. If the applicant has a licence to serve alcohol on the premises, temporary amendments have been made to the Licensing Act 2003, through the Business and Planning Act 2020, to allow them to sell alcohol for consumption off the premises, temporarily without applying for a variation of the premises licence.
More details can be found in the guidance accompanying the Business and Planning Act 2020.
Last updated: Wed 16th August, 2023 @ 15:07