Manchester street seating to be made smoke-free

Manchester City Council says it welcomes more seating areas outside venues

Newly created seating areas outside bars and restaurants will be made no-smoking zones, a council has said.

Temporary "pavement licences" have been issued to allow cafes, restaurants and bars to offer outdoor seating while maintaining social distancing rules.

But Manchester City Council said additional seating will be "smoke-free" as part of a drive to reduce levels of smoking.

National legislation requires premises to set aside an area for smokers.

However Manchester has one of the highest rates of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease in the UK and the council sees cutting that as a priority.

'Too many smokers'

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar said: "The introduction of outside seating for the hospitality sector has been a positive step over the past few weeks.

"We are seeing the public enjoy a degree of normality, and we are also seeing our businesses pick up following the devastating impact of the lockdown. Many have fed back that the additional provision has saved their business."

But he warned: "We have not endured one health crisis to sleepwalk into another.

"We know that in Manchester there are still too many people smoking and we want to play our part to ensure that the city is a place where smoking is not a cultural norm."

Allowing extra outdoor seating was part of the council's drive to revive the hospitality sector.

Bars and restaurants were hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak