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Street café licence

If you want to place tables and chairs outside your premises on a public pavement, you will need to apply for a street café licence.

Licence applications suspended

Due to COVID-19 and the current social distancing guidelines, temporary measures to allow for pedestrians and cycles are being implemented in many town centres and shopping areas. Our current café licence policy is therefore suspended but if you would like to apply for a Pavement Licence under the Business and Planning Act 2020 you can contact your local district and borough council

Applying for a licence is a requirement under section 115E of the 1980 Highways Act and is designed to ensure cafés operate safely and attractively without interfering with other legitimate uses of the street.

Operating a street café without permission is unlawful.

Planning permission may be required for the use or for any ancillary works and this must be clarified with the local planning authority for the area. Contact your planning authority if in doubt about whether permission is required.

Public liability insurance of £5 million is required.

Conditions

Our standard conditions for placing tables and chairs outside premises can be found in the application information attached to this page.

Licence cost

The initial street café licence will cost £300 for up to 6 seats with an additional £50 per seat per primary application and a renewal fee of 50% of the primary licence fee. These fees are non-returnable.

Licence duration

A licence will last 12 months from the date agreed between the council and licensee. A licence can be renewed for a further 12 months by submitting a renewal application.

Processing an application

Eight weeks are required to process a licence from receipt of a valid application.

Check if premises have a valid licence

You can check if a business has a valid street café licence by contacting Call Derbyshire tel: 01629 533190.

Complaints

Any complaints about the location or safety of a street café should be promptly reported to Call Derbyshire, tel: 01629 533190.