Cafe, bar and restaurant owners in a part of Derbyshire may have to pay five times as much money to keep seating outside their venues under new plans.
Derbyshire Dales District Council, under temporary legislation introduced by the Government in July 2020 adopted pavement licences allowing venues to put tables, chairs, umbrellas and other furniture outside of their establishments.
This was to enable venues to continue to operate but retain social distancing and boost the chances of people avoiding contracting Covid-19 by staying outside.
For the first few years the council chose to waive the £100 fee for pavement licences in a bid to support businesses struggling during the pandemic and its aftermath.
However, it brought the £100 fee in last year and now under new Government legislation, enacted in March, the council is looking to charge the new maximum amount for pavement licences – £500.
This would be accompanied by a £350 charge for renewals, with all existing temporary licences to automatically lapse at the end of their current terms – meaning all holders must apply for renewals or lose their outdoor seating.
The temporary licences only last a year and the council currently has 13 temporary pavement licences which will all expire on September 30 this year.
If all are renewed this would bring in £6,500, with licences to last for two years.
Council officials detail that it takes an average of eight hours to process a renewal application and 12 hours for a new application, so the heightened fee is required due to the impact on staff time and resources.
They write that businesses which continue to put furniture outside of their venues in violation of the required pavement licence and after a warning then the council can remove and store the furniture and charge the business for removal and storage costs.
If these costs are not paid within three months the council can dispose of the furniture by sale “or other means” and retain the money.
Under the pavement licences, business would be allowed to put the following furniture outside their venue – if the area is suitable:
Counters or stalls for selling or serving food or drink
Tables, counter or shelves on which food or drink can be placed
Chairs, benches, or other forms of seating
Umbrellas, barriers, heaters, and other articles used in connection with the outdoor consumption of food or drink
