Hull City Council is relaxing pavement licence rules as it works to support hospitality businesses as they reopen after a challenging year.
The move to ease the terms of licences already issued to bars, pubs and cafes is in recognition of the work of hospitality bosses to make sure everyone is protected and is Covid safe.
A number of pavement café licences have already been issued to support outdoor drinking and eating in advance of the next planned stage of Covid lockdown easing which will allow for people to eat and drink indoors.
The vast majority of licences requested have been granted subject, in some cases, to limitations on numbers of tables and chairs to help minimise the risk of infection and in order to follow national restrictions.
These decisions have also been taken to ensure neighbours are not adversely affected by noise and that clear routes are maintained for emergency vehicles and for disabled people and others with limited mobility.
The plan to relax the terms of the licence will apply to all existing licences and new applications submitted and could enable businesses to admit more people. Council staff will advise businesses on the relaxation of the licences in due course.
Hull City Council assistant director for major projects and place, Garry Taylor, said: “The council is working extremely hard to help business owners recover quickly.
“So far, the council has provided more than £77m in grants to businesses during the pandemic these Pavement Licences are the first step in helping businesses in the hospitality sector to recover from the pandemic.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and the fact that we are able to relax the terms of these licences is testament to the fantastic work our hospitality businesses are doing to protect customers and help fuel the recovery of the city.”
To learn more about applying for a Pavement Licence, email dev.control@hullcc.gov.uk for more information.
For further business advice and support as we come out of lockdown, visit hull.gov.uk/coronavirus/coronavirus-business-advice-and-support
