A pavement café licensing scheme introduced as an emergency measure to keep hospitality businesses afloat in Belfast following Covid lockdown has become permanent.
Belfast City Council is now operating a permanent licensing scheme for local hospitality and retail businesses wanting to place furniture on a public area outside their premises for use by their customers.
A temporary scheme, allowing hospitality businesses to place furniture including seating on a public area outside their premises, had been introduced In June 2020 during the recovery period following the Covid-19 lockdown.
The council carried out a public consultation last year on making the scheme permanent, receiving feedback from existing licensees, the local business community, and groups representing people with a disability, among others.
The permanent scheme is now operational, with a transition and implementation period up to the end of 2024. It is similar to the temporary scheme, but fees have been introduced and standard licence conditions have been revised.
SDLP councillor Gary McKeown, chair of the council’s Licensing Committee, said: “Pavement cafés have an important role to play in our city and bring a real buzz to our streets, so we want to ensure that this will continue in a permanent and sustainable way that can deliver for residents and visitors, as well as hospitality businesses.
“We want our city to be as welcoming and enjoyable as possible, and enabling pavement cafés to operate is part of this.”
As part of ongoing engagement, an information session for pavement café operators and hospitality businesses is taking place in Belfast City Hall on Thursday February 15.
