Businesses may face annual fee for pavement seating

Al fresco dining become a fixture outside bars and restaurants during social distancing rules

Bars and restaurants may have to pay an annual fee to place chairs and tables for customers outside their premises.

Applications for pavement licences in West Sussex increased during the pandemic as businesses struggled to stay afloat while observing social distancing rules.

Chichester District Council, which is responsible for processing the applications, has been providing the service for free since 2020, but is now proposing charging an administration fee.

Liberal Democrat councillor James Vivian said: "I do question why we are considering adding yet another cost to local businesses at a time when the administration wants a more active and competitive high street.”

He was speaking during a cabinet meeting which heard that the suggested fees would only cover the council’s costs and not generate a profit.

Members supported a number of new charges which are to be decided by the licensing committee next month, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

'Small change'

They include a £285 charge for a new one-year licence, £222 to renew a one-year licence, £362 for a new two-year licence, and £298 to renew a two-year licence.

If approved, the charges would be deferred until September 2025, giving businesses 15 months to apply for a free licence.

The meeting was told that only 16 businesses across the district held a pavement licence, with two being independent firms.

Cllr Vivian said the amount of money being saved by applying fees was "small change" and asked for things to be left as they were.

Without a licence, public liability insurance held by a business may not provide cover should a customer or member of the public be injured outside the premises.