Pavement licence application guidance

Find out what you'll need to submit as part of your pavement licence application.

Before you start your application

Before you start your application, you should contact us.

We will be able to give you advice on your application and save you time. We might also be able to tell you if you would not be eligible for a licence before you submit your application. 

Designing your area

Size of your cafe

The size of your licensed area will depend on the space you have available. You must leave enough space for pedestrians to be able to pass by. This will be at least 2 metres on normal streets and at least 3 metres on busy streets. 

How much space you’ll need to leave will be decided in consultation with us when you apply for your licence. You must also leave at least 45cm between your tables and chairs and any kerb.

Depending on your location, you can have your tables and chairs:

• placed against the building
• placed in an area away from the building, as long as this area is not well used by pedestrians or used for activities

If you plan to have a pedestrian route through your licensed area, this should be straight and obvious without any obstructions. You should leave enough space for all pedestrians including wheelchair users and people pushing prams.

Boundaries of your cafe

Your licence will include a plan showing the boundaries and dimensions of your area. You will need to keep a copy of this at your business at all times. All of your furniture needs to stay within the boundaries of your plan.

You will need to have barriers for your licensed area. These could include planters or other types of barriers. Your barrier should:

• be stable, including in windy conditions
• have two horizontal bars, with the lower one being no higher than 15cm and the higher one being between 80cm and 1 metre high
• if you use planters, they should be light enough to move easily and the height of the planter and plants should ideally be at least 1 metre

Your barrier should not:

• be a post of chain barrier – these can be dangerous to partially sighted people
  
• have any parts that stick out
  
• advertise any products or services (the name of your business is allowed)
  

Expanding your licensed beyond your store front

If you want to put out your tables and chairs beyond the width of your store front, you’ll need permission from any businesses that are affected by this. You should get written permission from your neighbours and include this with your application.

Emergency access routes

Your furniture should not block emergency exit routes from your own or other buildings. Emergency service vehicles must have access along all streets at all times, even in pedestrianised streets. You should leave at least 4 metres for this.

Smoke free area

At least one third of your licensed area must be non-smoking and there should be no-smoking signs on each table in the area to make this clear.

Furniture

Do not buy any furniture before you apply for your licence. We will approve your furniture as part of the application process. For any furniture you propose to buy, you should include the:

• size in millimetres
• colour
• material
  

Tables and chairs

Your tables and chairs must be:

• sturdy, preferably made of metal or wood
• suitable for outdoor use
• uniform (the same as each other)

If you cater for children, you’ll need to have at least one high chair available.

Parasols

If you plan to have parasols, they must:

• be entirely within your boundaries
  
• not be a trip hazard
• all be the same design and colour
• not include any advertising, except the name of your business
  

Space heaters

If you plan to have space heaters, you should include where they are located on your application.

You’ll also need to submit a risk assessment by someone who understands the law regarding health and safety. The risk assessment must:

• identify hazards (for example fire, explosions, burns, falling equipment)
• identify who may be harmed and how
• evaluate the risks and decide whether proposed precautions will be adequate or whether more could be done
  
• record findings
  

When you’ve completed your risk assessment, you should review it and change it if you need to.

Plans you need to include in your application

You need to include two copies of two separate plans in your application.

Location plan

A 1:1250 scale location plan showing the outline of your property and the proposed location of the street café.

Layout plan

A 1:100 or 1:50 scale site layout plan showing:

• the proposed boundary
• kerb and building lines
• barriers
• points of access
• table and seating layout
• location of any parasols
• key dimensions
  

Insurance

You’ll need to buy public liability insurance to cover at least £5 million. You’ll need to include proof of this in your application.

Toilets

You will need at least one customer toilet to get a street cafe licence. You should consider whether you have enough toilets for your extra customers.

Lighting

If you want to open at night you should think about whether there is enough lighting.

Rubbish

You should plan how you will store and get rid of rubbish if this will be affected by your licensed area. You should state this on your application.

Opening hours

We’ll agree your opening hours with you during your application process. This might be affected if vehicles need access to the road during certain hours.

Advertising your application

Once we have received your application, including all the required documents, we will start the 7 days of public consultation. We will let you know if your application has been successful within 14 days.

Cost

The cost of applying is currently £99.

How long your licence will last for

Licences are currently valid until 30 September 2023. You’ll need to renew the licence each year and we will contact you when the renewal is due.

If you’re applying for the first time, your licence will have a 3 month probationary period. We will carry out inspections for all licences to make sure you are meeting our terms and conditions.